Heaven of Hell
by KatieThomas'95
Summary: Slightly AU from season 6 ep 19, Audrey is back from China and Jack sticks around to help her recover but there is more to her ordeal than anyone suspects, an ordeal that is far from over... Not much of a summary but please read anyway! A few occasions of mild language and references to violence/torture. Chapter 20 now up.
1. The Exchange

**A/N just to clarify a few things from the summary, this fic takes a lot of stuff from 6x19 and 6x20 then makes varying sized 'tweaks' to it. Whilst I loved the way they did these two episodes this is me getting a few things that I would like to have seen off my chest, needless to say that this will not end in the same way the series did with Jack riding (if somewhat grudgingly) off into the sunset, he's in this for the long run. A few people are sort of OC and Jack didn't kill Curtis (he only plays a minor part, no lasting impact) Bit of a ramble I know but hope you enjoy the story :D**

**Few small notes, anything in italics is said over the radio/phone, anything in bold is Chinese**

**ENJOY!**

**Disclaimer: unfortunately I don't own anything, it's soul-destroying but I've learnt to live with it...**

Chapter One- The Exchange

Cheng stood mere feet away, although Jack had accepted his own fate, he still regretted the fact he could not have given Cheng a more painful end. 'Show me the component, Mr Bauer'

'Not until I see Audrey'

'Very well' Cheng paused before barking down his radio. After a moment or two, Audrey was shoved into the room, collapsing in a heap at Cheng's feet. She was trembling, even in the near darkness of the derelict motel room Jack could see the bruising that mottled her face and the scars the formed ridges across the backs of her hands. 'Get up' Cheng said, without looking down, continuing to stare at Jack. Audrey shakily got to her feet, keeping her eyes on the floor. 'They're pathetic aren't they, the ones that break? You would know Mr Bauer. Now, the component'

Jack took the component out of his pocket and held it up for Cheng to see. 'Give it to me'

'Not until I know that Audrey is safe' Jack spat out, 'Audrey, come over here' he said gently. Audrey's only reaction was to glance at Cheng. 'You may' was all Cheng said. Audrey hesitantly stepped over towards Jack, who reached out to pull her into a hug. Audrey froze, panic flitting across her face. Jack held her to him anyway, not wanting Cheng to hear his instructions.

'Audrey, I want you to walk out that door and towards the bridge. Further along the road is a layby, there's a cab waiting for you there who will take you to CTU' Jack could feel her struggling against him but he kept his arms around her for a moment longer, hoping she understood. 'Go, everything will be okay now' he whispered. He gave her a gentle nudge towards the door.

Audrey looked over to Cheng before returning her eyes to the floor and waiting. Cheng looked smugly at Jack, eyes taunting him. Jack fumed silently, 'Tell her to do what I said' he snapped. Cheng held Jack's gaze for a moment before turning to Audrey, 'Miss Raines, do as Mr Bauer says'.

Audrey slowly shuffled towards the door, limping heavily. After what felt like an eternity, she was out of sight of Cheng, who turned back to Jack. Jack continued to stare after Audrey for a few seconds, so long as she was safe he would find the strength to go through with his plan. 'Now, Mr Bauer, you have tested my patience long enough, give me the component.'

Jack slowly held his right hand out with the component, his left hand resting on the detonator in his pocket. Without warning a shot rang out.

Jack didn't even have time to react as a bullet tore through Cheng's neck in a burst of red mist. The man collapsed, clutching at his throat and gargling as he drowned in his own blood. Jack was oblivious to the continuing gun fight outside as he stood there in shock, simply staring whilst Cheng's face twisted in pain and desperation. After a couple of minutes, Cheng's bulging eyes glazed over and his body went limp, his head rolling to the side.

* * *

Once all Cheng's men were down Doyle ran into the motel room where Jack stood transfixed over Cheng's body. 'Jack'- no response- 'Jack' he said, a little louder. At this Jack was shaken out of his reverie and turned to face Mike. 'Audrey,' he murmured, 'Audrey?' firmer this time, 'where is Audrey? Is she okay?'

'It's okay Jack, last I saw she was down by the bridge, my guys are with her now-' Doyle was cut off as his radio crackled, _'Sir, we have a problem with Miss Raines, I think you'd better get down here'_

'_What's the problem? Is she hurt?'_

'_No Sir, she hasn't been shot or anything, it's just err…' _the agent trailed off.

'_Okay, I'm on my way'_

Jack was already striding out the door, breaking into a run towards the bridge where two SWAT guys stood a few feet away from a figure huddled on the ground by the wall. Audrey was curled into a ball, rocking back and forth with her hands clamped over her ears. Her lips formed a rapid stream of inaudible words and her eyes darted wildly around her, terror clear for everyone to see. The agents were clearly confused and had no idea what to do. To be honest, Jack wasn't entirely sure either.

Doyle ran up behind him seconds later. 'What the-' Doyle began before stopping as Jack slowly moved towards Audrey. As Jack crouched before her, her breathing became faster and more ragged and she seemed to fold in on herself even further. Her sleeves had fallen just below her wrists, revealing the raw flesh where they had been bound, with what Jack assumed was wire. As Jack slowly reached for her hand she let out a small whimper and shrank into the wall. 'Shh sh sh, it's okay now Audrey, you're safe, it's me, Jack' There was no recognition as her eyes as they flashed to his face.

'We don't have time for this' said Doyle, anxious to get back to CTU with the component, 'Agents Stuart and Dawson, escort Miss Raines to the SUV, get her to Medical as soon as you get back to CTU. I will transport Jack'

'No, no wait-' Jack started but the two agents grasped Audrey's arms and hauled her to her feet. She began struggling violently, blind panic contorting her face. The men fought to control her but her movements became more and more desperate. Jack hated what he was about to do but couldn't bear to see her hurt herself. **'Stop'** he barked in Chinese. Audrey flinched as if she had been burned, going limp with her eyes fixed on the dirt at her feet. Guilt washed over Jack but he pushed it away, this was better than the alternative- at least for now.

Stuart and Dawson half guided, half carried Audrey to the SUV as Doyle gave Jack a calculating look, 'Jack, I'm sorry, I have to place you under arrest'

'I understand' Jack replied, placing his hands in front of him. Doyle quickly cuffed him, not too tightly, before motioning to the second SUV.

20 minutes out from CTU, Doyle glanced back at Jack- who was staring out the window in a daze, worry lining his face- 'she's okay now Jack, they'll look after her in Medical' he said.

'How can you-?' Jack shook his head, 'How could you possibly say that? You saw her. She is not okay. THAT was not okay.' They settled into uncomfortable silence. 'Just promise me you'll take care of her, she deserves that much after everything she's been through.'

'I will Jack' was all Doyle replied. He was almost relieved when his phone rang _'Mike this is Milo, we lost radio contact with Delta unit and their GPS is down. Curtis' team is on their way to their last known position now.'_

'_Okay thanks Milo, I'll drop Jack at CTU then join them there'_ he replied before hanging up.

Doyle swore under his breath. 'What? What is it?' Jack demanded.

'CTU has lost all contact with the unit transporting the component; sounds like the Chinese may have got to them'

* * *

**I know, just a little cliff hanger for you ;) Thoughts? Ideas? Things you love/hate? Let me know and review, you know you want to...**


	2. Escalate

**A/N hello again, I'm treating you to an early update, again this is based very closely on the actual events of 6x20 with the characters mixed around. This is really just a transition chapter that gets everyone where I need them to be for the next. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: same as before, though if I do ever own the characters of 24 I'll be sure to let you know...**

Chapter Two- Escalate

'_Nadia, how did this happen? You said CTU had killed Cheng and recovered the component from Jack? And now you're telling me you lost it again? Damn it Nadia!' _Karen all but yelled in frustration.

'_It seems Cheng had a second team in place as a contingency, they ambushed the SUV carrying the circuit board after hacking our comms frequency. We've got teams working the scene now but-'_

'_Just find it. And quickly. I don't care what you have to do, use every resource available.'_

'_We are Karen but right now all we have is Audrey Raines. There's a chance she may be able to give us something we can use but she's completely unresponsive, she hasn't said a word since we got her back…' _Nadia replied, trying to keep a cool head.

'_Okay, a specialist is on the way, he will be working under my authority and is to be given full control over Ms Raines' immediate care and treatment. No one in your unit is to interfere. He should be able to get the information you need'_

'_Understood, I'll keep you informed of any progress' _

Karen hung up. Nadia took a deep breath and pressed her forehead against the wall for a moment before straightening and striding down to Holding.

* * *

Jack looked up as Nadia walked into the room, her face grim. 'What were you thinking Jack? We could have helped you! Instead you're stuck down here and we're stood on the brink of a major international incident!'

'I had to save her' was all Jack replied, closing his eyes for a moment as Audrey's terrified face flashing into his thoughts.

'Save her? Yeah well nice going with that Jack, because right now she's our only lead and Karen Hayes has sent in a "specialist" to deal with her'

The blood drained from Jack's face as he whipped his head around to stare at Nadia, 'What?! You know what they'll do to her, what their methods will be! She'll just retreat further inside herself and we'll lose any chance we have of ever getting her back. They'll destroy what little of herself she's managed to hold on to' he was practically sobbing now.

'You think I don't know that, Jack? There's nothing I can do; right now Audrey Raines is not our priority, our priority is preventing an international conflict that YOU caused.'

'Please, just let me talk to her, I can get through to her. I've been where she is right now, I can help her. Please' he begged.

'And how are you going to do that? From what Doyle said she doesn't even recognise you, let alone trust you enough to talk to you. For now the best we can hope for is that she manages to give us something useful, and fast. We can focus on her recovery when the current crisis is over.'

With that she turned to stalk out of the room. That was all Jack needed, he knew what he had to do, he didn't have a choice; he couldn't let Audrey pay for his mistakes, not again. He leapt towards Nadia and caught her in a choke hold. 'Relax, don't fight it, you'll only make it worse for yourself... I'm sorry' he murmured. Within seconds Nadia's feeble struggling ceased and Jack carefully lowered her to the ground. He grabbed her key card and opened the door before swiftly knocking out the guard on the other side, making sure to take his gun.

* * *

Once Doyle had left Nadia with Jack in Holding he strode up to Medical to check on Audrey. Part of him was relieved that she was safe now, for Jack's sake, but part of him was horrified; he'd never seen anyone so damaged before, so… broken. He shook his head slightly; just as he noticed a man he didn't recognise approaching Audrey's bed. 'Hey!' he yelled, grabbing the man and shoving him roughly against the wall, his arm against his throat. 'What the hell do you think you're doing?' he relaxed the pressure on the man's throat just enough to allow him to choke out a response.

'I'm the… specialist… sent to assess… and treat… Miss Raines'

Doyle released the man, who gasped for air and leaned against the wall briefly. He straightened and cleared his throat.

'I'm Dr Bradley and I'll be taking care of Miss Raines from now on, I've just completed my initial assessment and am about to begin treatment, now if you'll excuse me' he turned back to Audrey. Doyle placed a hand on his chest, stopping him, 'What do you mean "treatment"? Don't you want to check that with the Director?'

'Agent…?'

'Doyle' Doyle replied, 'I'm Agent Doyle'

'Right, Agent Doyle, I am working under the direct orders of the National Security Advisor and am authorised to use whatever method I deem fit to enable Miss Raines to communicate what she knows to us. I understand she is a key witness to an on-going oper-'

'Hold on there doc, "whatever method you deem fit"? What exactly does that mean?'

'As I was about to say agent, my preliminary diagnosis is that Miss Raines is a type three catatonic capable of repeating simple words and phrases but otherwise unresponsive. She has suffered severe physical and psychological abuse, amplified by pharmacological agents, as evidenced by the numerous lacerations, contusions and injection sites covering her body. Given the urgency of the present situation I will begin with a dose of hyoscine pentathol- as a neuroinflammatory it should essentially shock her out of her current condition- regrettably this course of action is the only possible way you're going to be able to communicate with her in the timeframe available. Thank you but now I must see to the patient, good day.' Dr Bradley beckoned to the guards outside the door, 'please escort Agent Doyle out of Medical'

Doyle waved down the guards, 'Thank you doctor but I don't need "escorting", I can see myself out'. He took one last look at Audrey, who seemed little more than an empty shell, her mind lost in a place no one could reach her. Then he walked as calmly as he could back out the door. He needed to find Nadia.

* * *

Not thirty seconds after Doyle left, Jack ran into Medical. Dr Bradley was adjusting the IV in Audrey's arm whilst watching a monitor next to the bed, '… bloody oxygen level 92%, heart rate elevated at 119… for now I think that's the best we're going to get… Let's begin shall we?' A second man taking notes nodded and turned to leave but was thrown backwards as Jack burst through the door.

'What have you done to her?!' he yelled, grabbing the doctor by the throat and pressing the gun to his jaw.

'We haven't… started yet' the man wheezed, straining away from the cold metal of the muzzle. That was all Jack needed to know; he still had a chance. His elbow quickly connected with Dr Bradley's temple, who promptly collapsed onto the floor. As he did, the lock down siren went off. Jack spun around to see the assistant with his hand on the emergency leaver.

'Don't you move' Jack shouted, pointing the gun in the man's face. The man nodded and lifted his hands in surrender, backing away into the corner. Jack lowered the gun but kept one eye on the man as he quickly removed the restraints holding Audrey to the bed and ripped out her IV. She was looking around wildly, one ear turned into her shoulder trying to block out the noise; as soon as her hands were free she clasped the sides of her head and shut her eyes. Again her lips moved soundlessly as she rocked slightly. Jack put his arms around her waist to lift her out of the bed and guided her out the room with her leaning on him heavily.

They had barely made it 5 steps when Audrey's legs gave way beneath her. Jack caught her just before her skull connected with the concrete but there was sickening crack as the hand she had put out to stop her fall made contact with the floor. Her face went white and she cried out in pain. Jack felt a stab of guilt but it was quickly overwhelmed by a fresh wave of adrenaline; if he couldn't get her to talk in the next few minutes then a fractured wrist was going to be the least of her problems. Time was running out. As gently as he could, he placed his arms under her shoulders and knees, lifting her, before running for all he was worth.

* * *

'What's going on?' demanded Milo, striding out onto the Floor.

'A lock down has been initiated from Medical, I'm pulling the video feed now' replied Morris, jabbing rapidly at his keyboard.

'Where's Nadia?' Milo asked uncertainly, looking round the room, unable to see her.

'Down with Jack in Holding… Okay we've got eyes in Medical.'

'Let me see' said Milo, turning the monitor towards him, 'damn…'

'What?'

'Audrey Raines is gone, from what I can see Dr Bradley is down…' Milo squinted at the screen 'wait he's coming to…' he paused. 'Get me the feed to Holding Three'

'What? Why?'

'Just do it Morris!' he snarled.

Morris's hands flew over the keyboard, 'Okay got it' he said whilst rotating the screen back to Milo, who swore loudly when he saw Nadia's unconscious form sprawled on the floor of the cell.

'Find Jack. Now. We find him we find Audrey.'

'Perimeter diagnostics are in, no one has left the building since lockdown was initiated, that limits Jack's movements to the corridors and storage areas in sectors L through N'

'Okay I'm going to go check on Nadia, when you find Jack tell Doyle to…' Milo checked round quickly, 'Doyle!' he yelled, waving him over.

'Yeah? What's happened?'

'Jack's escaped and taken Audrey out of Medical, when Morris gets a location-'

Doyle cut in 'Okay, got it, but where's Nadia, shouldn't she be dealing with this?'

'Jack knocked her out, I'm going to check on her now. G-d dammit!' he exclaimed, slamming his fist down on the desk in frustration, 'where's he going with this?!'

Morris interrupted, before there was any chance his computer could become the next unfortunate target of Milo's rage, 'Got Jack's position, 30 seconds ago he was headed down to the second floor via stairwell B, sector L.'

'I'm on it' said Doyle, 'Find out whether any rooms in that area have been opened since lockdown began, radio me.'

'Will do' Milo turned back to the computer.

'I'll be in Holding' said Milo, walking away. Doyle nodded.

'Stuart, Dawson, with me' he yelled, running towards the stairwell, hoping to G-d that Jack had thought this through.

**As always please review :) I love hearing what everyone thinks. Go on, push the button.**


	3. Treatment

**A/N Welcome back, again keeping the general plot the same with a few changes. There are a few quotes from the actual episode simply because they were so perfect I couldn't bear to change them. **

**anything in bold is Chinese, anything in bold italics is a quote from Paradise Lost by John Milton. I'm not a religious epic poem fan but there were a few lines that fit well with where I want this story to go._  
_**

******Enjoy!**

Chapter Three- Treatment

Jack gently set Audrey down on the floor of the storage area before disabling the lock on the door. He turned back to the figure huddled against the wall; she was cradling her arm but that's not what worried him- whilst her left hand was bunched in a fist around the material of her prison uniform, the right was twitching, as though trying to do the same but not quite managing it. It was quiet in here. Much quieter than it had been in the chaos that engulfed the rest of the building. In the dark he could just about hear her hurried whisper, the mantra it seemed she had been repeating whenever her surroundings overwhelmed her.

He slowly crouched a couple of feet away from her, straining to hear the words. '_**The mind is its own place and in itself, can make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven. The mind is its own place…**_' over and over again. Jack recognised it vaguely, the rhythm dragging up an echo of an old memory… Paradise Lost.

Audrey had had the books lined up on a shelf in her apartment and, after a heated debate over dinner about the contribution of religion to society (to this day he couldn't remember how they got onto that topic), she had convinced him to try reading a couple- a decision he had soon regretted.

Jack was drawn back to the present by movement to his right. She was rocking again, her good arm wrapped protectively around her knees, the other draped uselessly on the floor. Jack shifted towards her, putting his arms around her shoulders to pull her into a soft embrace. Almost instantly her entire body tensed, her words becoming increasingly desperate. Jack held on, careful not move her arm, whilst tucking her hair behind her ear. He leaned in slightly, 'Shhh, Audrey it's okay' he crooned, the smallest of tears glazing his eyes '_**this horror will grow mild, this darkness light**_'. The effect was almost immediate, he sensed her still, and then relax ever so slightly. At that, Jack felt the tinniest glimmer of hope.

* * *

Their moment of peace was broken abruptly by a shout outside, 'He's disabled the door, get me an entry team down here!', followed by three loud bangs on the door. Audrey scrambled away, pressing herself into the corner of the room. 'Jack stop this! You're only making it worse!'

'Mike please, just give me a few more minutes. Please!' desperation tinged Jack's voice as he yelled back. He cautiously edged over to Audrey and took hold of both her hands. 'Audrey, please, we don't have much time, is there anything you can remember about where you were held? Any sounds, any smells? Anything?' His eyes searched her face for a response but she didn't hear him, that panicked look had returned to her and her eyes flew wildly around the room. The whir of a rotary saw drowned him out and sparks fell into the room. She tried to fight him off weakly, blinded by fear. 'Audrey' Jack tried to speak above the noise, 'Audrey!' no response, 'Audrey look at me!' he was shouting now but it had no effect on the terrified woman in front of him. G-d he hated himself sometimes: **'Look at me!' **At that a small scream escaped her and she recoiled in fear, tearing her hands back to protect her head and curling into a ball.

Jack thought he was going to be sick, seeing her react like that to him. He sighed and pulled her into a hug, one hand stroking the nape of her neck, the other rubbing small circles on her back, 'Shhhhh… I'm sorry, I know you're trying… G-d, Audrey I'm so sorry, I'm sorry for everything'. He planted a small kiss on her forehead, rocking her gently. 'I love you with all my heart'

* * *

In less than a minute, the door slammed open with a loud bang; Jack whipped around, ripping the gun from his waistband and pointing it at Doyle. His left hand remained wrapped around Audrey's. 'Jack put the gun down!'

'No you put your gun down!'

Doyle looked to the two agents either side of him and gave a small nod. 'Okay Jack, I'm just putting my gun down…' he said before slowly crouching and placing his gun on the floor. Stuart and Dawson kept their guns trained on Jack's chest. 'Alright Jack, take it easy okay?'

Jack's eyes darted between the three agents, he didn't know what to do; he had nothing to bargain with, no way to protect her. 'Mike you know what will happen if I put this gun down; he'll torture her all over again.' Audrey's breathing was fast and shallow behind him, her hand shaking in his. 'Hasn't she been through enough? Please, I just need a little more time to get through to her'

'Jack, I swear to you, I will not let that doctor touch her. Nothing is going to happen to her, I give you my word, now please, put the gun down' Doyle begged, praying his agents wouldn't be forced to shoot a man he respected and, somehow, trusted.

Jack seemed to realise now that he was out of options; he was no good to Audrey dead- or injured for that matter. He nodded slightly and put the gun down, gently sliding it away from him. Just then, he felt Audrey squeeze his hand. It was only the slightest pressure; it could have been a twitch, but it felt more controlled, longer. He was so shocked he spun round to look at her, their eyes meeting for just a second. In that brief moment, the glimmer of hope from before became a flare: he had seen a fleeting glimpse of recognition.

Doyle glanced at the agent on his right, who moved towards Audrey. 'Audrey, Audrey look at me' Jack sent Doyle a pleading look. Doyle nodded a little and had Agent Stuart pause. Jack turned to Audrey and cupped her face in his hands. 'Audrey I need you to go with this man, everything's going to be alright, you're safe now'. Her eyes flickered to his for a moment and she gave an almost imperceptible nod. Stuart stepped forward and lifted Audrey to her feet before leading her out of the room.

'I'm sorry Jack but I have to cuff you'

'It's fine, I understand… Thank you'

'For what?' Doyle asked, putting the cuffs around Jack's wrists

'Helping her' he replied simply. He looked up.

'Agent Doyle, can I have a word please?' Nadia was stood in the doorway, looking angrily at Jack.

'Yeah sure, Dawson, take Jack back down to Holding'

'Yes Sir,' said Dawson, taking hold of Jack and frog-marching him out the door.

Nadia waited until Jack was out of earshot before speaking. 'Dr Bradley is about to start on Audrey in Medical, I want you and your team on standby in case she gives us anything useful' she turned to leave.

'Wait, you're going ahead with the treatment?' Doyle exclaimed, grabbing Nadia's arm, 'I just swore to Jack-'

Nadia cut him off 'In spite of Jack's actions, Audrey Raines is still the only chance we've got of recovering the component. Now whether you like it or not, we have to do everything necessary to ensure that happens. I suggest in future you don't make promises you can't keep.' She stalked away.

Doyle let out a shout of anger and rammed his fist into the wall.

* * *

'Place Miss Raines back on the bed over there and secure the restraints'

Audrey looked round in confusion and tried to pull away from the man holding her down but he was too strong. Nadia appeared in the observation window on the left hand wall, along with a CTU doctor. Doyle joined them a moment later; he had a dark look on his face. When Audrey was almost completely immobile, Dr Bradley pushed a syringe into her arm, quickly compressing the plunger. Audrey squeezed her eyes shut, muttering to herself.

At first there was no effect. '_**The mind is its own place, and in itself can make-'**_ she was cut off as a tremor shook through her body. Her eyes flew open, wide with pain and shock. She struggled to breathe, her back arching as her body heaved and twisted. Doyle looked away, but that was no defence against the guttural scream that then tore from her lips. Her left hand formed a fist, nails digging into her palm, her right twitched at her side. She stole strangled gasp before another agonised cry escaped her- longer this time, almost feral. Every muscle in her body fought desperately against the cuffs keeping her in place. She whimpered between waves of pain, 'Please… No more… Please!'

'This isn't treatment, this is torture' muttered Doyle, Nadia said nothing; her knuckles white as she gripped the railing beneath the window. The doctor on her right looked furious.

Audrey's body convulsed violently again, 'Bloomfield!' she shrieked, 'Bloomfield!' again. Her next scream was broken off by a hoarse fit of coughing that jolted through her chest. She was trembling and couldn't seem to catch her breath. A sickening gurgling sound escaped her as she leant forward and coughed again, her hair covering her face.

'Alright that's enough!' shouted Nadia over the intercom as Doyle burst out the door and into the room, pushing the doctor out the way. Audrey shook as a fresh bout of coughing wracked her body. She wretched, but that's not what made Doyle turn cold; seeping into the dirtied grey prison shirt she was wearing, was a growing patch of dark red blood.

**Thoughts? Make my day and review! I'll need a little more time to update with the next chapter so I can work out what my end game is with this but keep checking in :D**


	4. You Said

**A/N back earlier than I expected- still have a few dilemmas to work out but I'll cross those various bridges when I get to them. This entire chapter lasts between 5 and 10 minutes real time so think/read fast. I'm proud to say that I now own the characters of Dr Jenkins and Angela, they are my very own creations. This is quite a 'medical' chapter but unfortunately I am not a doctor so there are bound to be inaccuracies (however if I do ever go to medical school I'll be sure to come back and correct my mistakes).**

** and finally a quick thank you to numbnuts and jaudreylover24, your reviews made me smile after a particularly boring meeting at work so thanks.**

**Enjoy!**

Chapter Four- You said

'You!' shouted the doctor, pointing at Dr Bradley's assistant, 'Go get me a nurse, now!'

'Dr Jenkins, what's happening to her?' demanded Nadia, losing her cool. Dr Jenkins was listening to Audrey's chest.

'I'm not sure but whatever it is its nothing good' she muttered through gritted teeth. 'Somebody get him out of here!' she gestured to Dr Bradley.

'Dr Bradley I think its best you leave now' said Nadia, showing him to the door. He stopped her.

'With all due respect Miss Yassir that's not your call, Miss Raines is my patient'

'With all due respect _doctor'_ Dr Jenkins cut in, exaggerating his title, 'Miss Raines _was _your patient. Given that she is no longer physically capable of responding to any questions you may have, I'd like to get on with actually helping the poor woman instead of torturing her. Now, if you wouldn't mind, get out.' She turned back to Audrey as Nadia pushed him out the door.

Two seconds later a nurse ran in, quickly followed by the assistant. 'Angela, give me a hand over here… you, leave.' She glared at the assistant, who promptly backed out the open door.

'Ugh, somebody get these restraints off her' the doctor said, disgusted. Doyle quickly stepped forward and began to undo the cuffs.

'Audrey, sweetie, I'm just going to support your shoulders whilst Angela lowers the headboard okay?' she placed her arms behind Audrey's shoulders and neck and nodded to Angela. 'Okay honey, lie back for me' Audrey whimpered slightly as Dr Jenkins guided her head down onto the bed, 'it's okay, I've got you' she soothed, 'I've got you'

Nadia noted the worry creasing the doctor's face; she was frowning: Audrey's windpipe was shifted to the left slightly, the veins in her neck distended. Jenkins lifted Audrey's shirt up to palpate her chest; it felt slightly larger on the right hand side, the skin a little spongy. She cursed softly.

'Ange, get me a thoracic trauma kit, suspected tension pneumothorax' Angela hurried away. Audrey's breathing was rapid and shallow; her lips were turning slightly blue. Jenkins turned to Doyle, 'is there someone nearby who can calm her down a bit? I'm going to need to insert a chest tube but for now she's too panicked- she's wasting what little oxygen she can get'

'Uh yeah, Jack's in Holding but…' he looked at Nadia, who nodded. Doyle ran out the room.

'Nadia, get over here, I might need you to hold her down while I remove her shirt', Nadia looked confused but didn't say anything as she moved to the doctor's side. Dr Jenkins picked up a pair of scissors and began to cut into Audrey's shirt.

Audrey panicked, struggling violently away from the doctor. 'Hold her!' said the doctor; Nadia quickly placed both hands on Audrey's upper arms.

'No, no please… Please don't' Audrey begged, tears beginning to fall down her face. Nadia looked uncertainly at the doctor, who grimaced but continued to cut at the fabric. She was forced to pause when another gurgle escaped Audrey, who coughed up another throatful of blood. She wretched again. 'Help me turn her onto her side, quickly' exclaimed the doctor. The pair swiftly rolled the woman onto her shoulder; she coughed again, clearing the blood from her mouth.

The tattered shirt had fallen away from Audrey's body as they turned her, Nadia now gasped in shock as the saw the bruises, cuts and burns that littered her back; some of them were clearly infected and healing badly- if at all. Audrey was sobbing softly between ragged breaths, tears soaking into the bed, 'Shhhh Audrey, I need you to calm down for me okay?' Jenkins gently stroked her hair, trying to comfort the broken woman in front of her.

Doyle was running back to Medical with Jack just behind him, 'What do you mean? What happened?'

'I'm sorry Jack, the doctor went ahead with the interrogation, there was nothing I could do… Audrey's in trouble, I don't know exactly what happened but it isn't good'

'I'm going to kill him' Jack seethed, but he was worried; Audrey must have been bad for Nadia to have authorised his release, however temporary.

They burst into Medical, Jack ran straight over to her. 'Jack?' asked Dr Jenkins.

'Yeah that's me' Jack replied, trying to stamp down his rage at seeing Audrey in that state.

'I need you to calm her down for me, at the moment she's shaking too badly for me to put the chest tube in safely'

Jack didn't question her, although there were a hundred questions he wanted to ask, just crouched down in front of Audrey. Audrey recoiled slightly upon seeing him but he stroked her cheek, 'Hey it's just me remember? It's going to be okay' he murmured, inwardly cursing himself; he'd said that not 15 minutes ago and look how that'd turned out.

'Audrey?' she brought her eyes up to meet his, 'there you are' he smiled, 'can you close your eyes for me?' she gave him a long look, trying to work out whether to trust him, but nodded and quickly shut her eyes. 'Remember what you were saying earlier? _**The mind is its own place, and-'**_

'_**-in itself can make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven. The mind is its own place, and in itself can…'**_Audrey continued. Jack smiled briefly, 'don't say it, just mouth it, concentrate on breathing okay?' She nodded, her eyes still shut. Jack kissed her forehead and wiped some of the blood away from her lips with his thumb.

He stood up to face the doctor, 'So what's going on doctor?'

'She's suffered a tension pneumothorax, once I've put the chest tube in we'll get an x-ray done to confirm and hopefully determine a cause' Jenkins paused to take an oxygen cylinder and mask from Angela. She passed them to Jack, 'can you put this on her while I prepare the incision site?'

Jack knelt down before Audrey again and gently lifted her head to put the mask on. Her mantra faltered and she opened her eyes. 'It's okay Audie, close your eyes again, remember: _**the mind is its own place…**_' she picked up where he left off whilst he brushed a stray hair off her face. Her eyelids dropped and her breathing relaxed slightly.

'Okay we need to turn her onto her back again, then Jack I want you to hold her right arm above her head' Jenkins instructed, motioning to Angela. The trio then gently rolled Audrey back over. Jenkins stopped for a second, moving away from the bed, 'Jack, a word please?' Jack looked confused but followed.

'This procedure is painful but I can't use any form of anaesthetic until we know exactly which drugs are in her system- given her condition we simply cannot afford any complications. Just please, try to keep her still, try to keep her calm.' She turned back to the bed. Jack's face looked grim as he walked over to Audrey, trying to brace himself.

'Hey Audrey, honey, look at me' Audrey opened her eyes, which then widened in panic as she looked down towards the doctor holding the scalpel. 'No, no, no, Audie look at me, up here' he placed a finger under her chin. 'There we go' he tried to smile, but it was thin; it didn't quite reach his eyes. 'This is going to hurt, but I want you to take my hand' he said, placing his hand in hers, holding her other above her head 'and squeeze as hard as you can okay? Can you do that for me?'

Audrey nodded but whimpered 'you said… no more hurt' her voice was childlike, but scratchy. Tears threatened to overwhelm Jack but he fought them back.

'Oh sweetie I know, but I promise, this is the last bit and then it'll be over okay? Just this last little bit' he managed to choke out. She nodded again and shut her eyes, adjusting her grip on Jack's hand slightly. Jack looked at Dr Jenkins, who stepped forward.

Audrey winced and fought back a moan as Jenkins cut into the skin, but she held on to Jack's hand and squeezed as hard as she could. 'It hurts' she whispered, her voice shaking slightly.

'Shhh, I know, it'll be over soon' he couldn't hold back the few tears that now traced themselves rebelliously down his cheeks. He kissed her hand.

This time Audrey couldn't bite back a muffled scream as the doctor used the forceps to dig through the muscle between her ribs. She pressed her head back against the bed and felt her entire body tense up. 'Please… make it stop, make it stop!' she screamed again, almost hysterical; tears were streaming down her face.

'Audrey I'm almost there okay? Just a few more seconds…' Jenkins said without looking up, concentrating on carefully inserting the tube, 'Okay that's the worst done; I just need to suture it in place.' A small hissing sound could be heard as the air was finally released and a small rivulet of blood dripped on to the floor. Angela quickly attached the free end of the tube to a collection system.

'Ange, let's get a tox screen done on that blood, see what we're up against here…'

Audrey sobbed whilst the doctor worked swiftly to close the wound, Jack stroked her hand. 'You can let her arm down now' said Dr Jenkins as she placed a transparent dressing over the tube. 'We'll keep her on the oxygen for the next couple of hours or so, while her lung re-expands fully. While we're waiting for the tox results to get back we'll get the x-ray…'

Jack just nodded vacantly, not really hearing what the doctor was saying, but he smiled appreciatively at Doyle as he pulled up a chair for Jack to sit on. He gazed down at Audrey, holding her hand tightly, she was still trembling but at least her breathing was slowly getting better. Jack sighed; it was going to be long night.

**Hope the pace isn't too slow, but there were certain events during Audrey's first 48 hours back on US soil that I really wanted to see... **


	5. Restless

**A/N sorry for the small delay in updating, ran into a little writer's block but for now I'm free and clear so enjoy the chapter. The first part of the second half of this chapter is written from Audrey's POV but it blends back into Jack's, hopefully it should be fairly clear.**

**Same rules apply as the previous chaps.**

Chapter Five- Restless

Audrey had been too exhausted to stay awake for long so Jack moved her bed into the corner. Dr Jenkins looked at him questioningly.

'She'll wake up with her back to the wall, facing the door', the doctor still looked confused. 'No-one can attack from behind and you can quickly see and assess any threats from the front. It's a small comfort if all you expect is pain' he tried to explain. Dr Jenkins nodded, beginning to understand.

Audrey had been drifting in and out of a fitful sleep for the last couple of hours now- despite not being given any pain relief. Part of Jack was relieved that she was finally getting the rest she so desperately needed but the other half hated it.

Even whilst asleep she twitched and struggled, fighting off the demons that had followed her back from China. But the worst part was when she would finally jolt awake; often screaming, her eyes would open to reveal a dreadful mix of terror and resignation. To Jack it was like a punch to the stomach. He would stroke her hair and hold her hand, gently easing her back into reality and waiting for a hint of recognition to show in her face but, each time, he knew the peace that slowly softened her features was only temporary. Before long another nightmare would take her and once again he would be powerless to stop it.

He was torn from his thoughts as Dr Jenkins walked in with a clipboard and a tray. 'So then doctor, what do you know?'

'Nothing good I'm afraid,' the doctor replied, 'tox results came back with residual traces of various hallucinogens and a small amount of amphetamine'

Jack drew a deep breath and tried to steady his hands, 'What else?'

'What looks like shrapnel showed up on the x-ray,' she said, carefully injecting a sedative and pain killer into Audrey's IV cannula, 'from what I can tell, her convulsions during Dr Bradley's treatment dislodged it from her chest wall. From there it lacerated a portion of lung tissue and caused the pneumothorax'

Jack sighed and massaged his temples whilst the doctor continued 'unfortunately attempting surgery to remove the shrapnel with Audrey in her current condition would be nothing short of insanity, for now we'll leave the chest tube in whilst the lung heals. Given time, there should be sufficient build-up of scar tissue around the metal shard to prevent it causing this sort of damage in future.'

As Dr Jenkins finished with Audrey, Jack watched as her body relaxed a little and she fell into an almost peaceful sleep.

The doctor gave Jack a disapproving look 'You look terrible' she said, none too kindly, 'you should get some sleep as well'

Jack looked like he was about to object but Jenkins cut him off before he could even begin, 'she won't be coming round for at least another four hours, so you don't need to worry. When she wakes up, I'll make sure to wake you'

Jack could see there was little point in arguing with the doctor so he grudgingly agreed. 'Dr Jenkins?'

'Please, Jack, call me Amanda'

'Amanda… Thank you' he said softly. Amanda gave a gruff nod and left the room. With that, Jack settled into the bed closest to Audrey and focused on trying to sleep.

* * *

Audrey woke with a start to see a guard bringing a needle to her arm. 'No!' she shrieked, flailing wildly in search of a weapon. Her hand settled on a metal tray next to the bed and she quickly slammed into the guard's face with all her strength.

'Get away from me! I told you, I don't know anything!' she screamed. The guard had fallen backwards and was clutching his face in shock and surprise. Dread crept up on Audrey as she saw two more guards run into the room, drawn in by the commotion. They shouted at each other and began to close in on her, ready to dish out the beating she had just earned herself.

'No… no, please' she whimpered, dropping the tray. It fell to the floor with a clang. 'I didn't mean to, I'm sorry… please…' She brought her arms up to protect her head, trying to back away, but the guards were getting closer and closer, batons and whips in hand. 'Please… don't' she was sobbing now.

Suddenly a third man placed himself between her and the guards, throwing his hands up at them, shouting at them to back off. For some reason the guards hung back.

'Audrey?' he said gently 'Audrey, it's me, Jack'

'Jack?' the word felt familiar, she moved it round in her mouth trying to work out why. He sounded sad, exhausted… He must be another prisoner in The Block. But if he was another prisoner then the guards wouldn't have listened to him like that. This must be a trick. She carefully felt around on the table behind her for a something, anything, she could use to defend herself. She found a pair of scissors and quickly whipped them in front of her, ready to attack.

The man looked crushed; she could see the tears that glazed his eyes. Her grip on the scissors faltered for just a moment but she moved her attention onto finding a way to escape. She'd been so close last time…

'Audrey, please,' the man's voice cracked as he spoke, 'put the scissors down, you're safe, no-one's going to hurt you here' again he looked behind him, signalling the guards to move back. He took a tentative step forward.

'Stay back!' she yelled, pointing the scissors at him, but her hand was trembling, she didn't know how much longer she could hold them.

'Okay, okay,' he said, putting his hands up in surrender, trying to placate her, 'Audrey, look around you, tell me what you see'

She looked around, confused, 'a rusted metal door, stained concrete walls…' she trailed off. Even as she spoke the words the room around her changed. The door became glass, the concrete walls lost the red-brown stains. The naked lightbulb shedding a dim orange light above her head began to emit a cleaner, brighter light. She watched as the bulb melted away to reveal a fluorescent tube. The guards were now wearing hospital scrubs and white trainers in place of their black uniforms and heavy boots.

The scissors were shaking violently in her hand, 'I… I don't understand' she whispered.

'You're not in China, sweetie, you're in CTU' the man-who-called-himself-Jack said softly.

'Jack?' she murmured again, to herself this time, experimenting with the word… the name. She searched around in her head for a moment. '_**The mind is its own place…**_' No that wasn't what she needed. '_**This darkness, light**_' she was closer this time. Jack… Jack… she sighed in frustration. 'Bauer!' How could she have forgotten?

Jack smiled as recognition spread across her face. The scissors finally clattered to the floor. He stepped forward to envelope her in a tight hug as she broke down in tears, her hands over her face. He stroked her hair again and rubbed small circles into her back. Sobs wracked her body; it was all she could do to stay standing. 'I know' he sighed as she cried into his chest, 'I know'

They stood there for what felt like an eternity, until Jack guided Audrey back to the bed, sitting her down. She still turned her face into his chest, 'I'm sorry' she whispered, 'I'm so sorry' she was still crying, her tears soaking into his shirt. At this he brought his hands to cup her face, lifting it so he could look into her eyes.

'Don't say that, Audie,' he said firmly 'Never say that, none of this is your fault, you understand?'

She nodded, ever so slightly.

'So you can stop blaming yourself for everything that's happening to you' he murmured. He cradled her in his lap, whispering quietly and kissing her forehead. 'I've been where you are, I know what you're going through. You don't have to hide anymore; I'll be here every step of the way'

He felt her nod again. Gradually her breathing evened out and her sobs became the occasional hiccup. Before long she fell asleep, clutching his t-shirt in her fist, curled up in his arms. Amanda couldn't help but feel sorry for the pair; they still had a long road ahead of them.

Audrey's shirt had ridden up slightly, revealing a ropy scar that stretched from her left hip, up her back and beneath the shirt again. But it wasn't the size or length of the scar that caught Amanda's attention particularly: neatly lined up on either side, were the scars of old sutures. None of Jack's wounds had those marks, in fact, in all the torture victims she had seen in the past 20 years as a military doctor, she had never seen scars like them.

'Jack,' she said cautiously, he looked up. 'Why do some of Audrey's scars have suture marks on them?'

Jack's blood ran cold. She couldn't have been? Could she?

'Amanda,' he said, moving Audrey's hair away from her ear, 'I can't see from here, look behind her ear' Amanda moved to examine the area. 'Is there a mark there? A number?'

Amanda drew in a sharp gasp, then looked up uncertainly. 'It's a brand, the number zero'

Jack's face turned white, fire burned in his eyes.

'What? What does it mean Jack?' she asked.

'The Block.'

**As always, I love getting reviews, even when I do get weird looks from colleagues as I smile like a maniac when I read them on my phone...**


	6. The Block

**A/N just a quick one here, during the flashback/nightmare any speech is in Chinese (nightmare is in bold) Enjoy!**

Chapter Six- The Block

'What's the Block?' Amanda asked tentatively after a long pause. Jack didn't hear her; he was lost in his own thoughts, whispering gently into Audrey's ear. There was a haunted look in his eye as he rocked her back and forth.

'Jack?' he looked up, startled for a moment.

'The Block?' he shivered as she said the words.

He didn't say anything as he gingerly moved out from beneath Audrey's sleeping form and laid her down on the bed. He gestured towards two chairs on the other side of the room. Amanda stared intently at Jack as they sat down, waiting for him to explain.

'The Chinese don't keep prisoners who are of no use; once you've given up any information you have, you die. It's a simple rule, and often a blessing'

Jack stopped and pinched the bridge of his nose. He drew a deep breath. When he continued his voice sounded hollow.

'But there are exceptions to every rule. Once in a while, a prisoner will be 'spared', selected as a training subject, and moved to the Block' again he paused, his hands shaking slightly.

'To the Chinese, interrogation is an art form; it takes years to hone your skills. So they developed the perfect training facility. On the Chinese New Year, each trainee interrogator is assigned a mentor, a doctor and a subject for the year. During that year, the trainee learns and practices every technique there is- and often develops their own, more creative methods in the process.'

Jack's voice was dead now, his hands balled into fists. Amanda gently squeezed his shoulder.

'The mentor is there to teach, though often they're in it for themselves, the doctor… the doctor is there to keep the prisoner alive when the trainee gets carried away, to stitch together the pieces from today so they can be reused tomorrow. The prisoner is kept as a subject for a year, and then disposed of.'

Amanda looked horrified; no wonder Audrey was so withdrawn. 'When she wakes, I'll need to do a full examination of her injuries…' she trailed off, not really knowing what to say. An uncomfortable silence stretched between them.

'What did you mean by "often they're in it for themselves", the mentors?' Amanda asked suddenly.

Jack grimaced with distaste, 'From the rumours I heard through the walls of my cell, the mentors were to ones who took real pleasure in the torture. They were the ones who viewed the scheme as a psychological experiment; how much pain could you inflict on a human body before the mind was driven to insanity? How do different subjects react to different techniques? Pain for the sake of pain…' it was Jack's turn to drift in to silence.

They both looked over at Audrey, who was fidgeting in her sleep; neither could imagine what she had been through, neither really wanted to. Audrey didn't need to imagine, she was still reliving it.

* * *

**At the sound of heavy boots, Audrey tried to crawl into the corner of her cell. She curled into a ball and hoped they weren't coming for her. She trembled as they stopped outside her door. The key grated in the lock and two guards strode in. They grabbed her arms and hauled her out of the cell, her feet dragging in the dirt. Fear began to takeover; she knew where they were taking her. She began struggling weakly. The guard on her left just tightened his grip and continued but the one on her right had a cruel streak: he viciously kicked her legs out from beneath her and sent her crashing into the dirt. There was a sickening crunch and pain bloomed across her chest as her barely healed ribs fractured again. The guard took the butt of his whip and pressed it hard against a deep cut on her abdomen. **'Do not try anything like that again. Understand?'

**He went to back hand her but was stopped by his colleague **'Stop. You know they don't like us tampering with the subjects'

**The guard shot him a dark look but dragged Audrey to her feet; maybe he'd be allowed to watch when the mentor started on her. Before long they shoved her through a rusted metal door, number 327. Three men looked up. **'Place it on the table, face down' **one barked, before ordering the two guards away.**

**There were instruments lined up on the walls; it could have been a scene from a horror movie if there had been a fast forward button or a couch to hide behind. But there wasn't. The doctor remained in the corner while the trainee stepped forward with a knife; he had a gleeful smile on his face. Audrey felt sick. **

**The mentor moved next to the table, **'We'll start with the Oyster Shuck today, a personal favourite of mine' **he beckoned to the trainee. **'This requires two people present to complete effectively, so, the first person twists the subjects arm behind their back'

**The trainee did as instructed, twisting Audrey's right arm so that her palm was held facing outwards in the centre of her back.**

'See how the shoulder blade is moved away from the rest of the torso slightly?' **the younger man nodded. **'That gives you direct access to a part of the brachial plexus so…' **he took the knife from the trainee,** 'the second person places the knife one inch above the apex of the scapula'

**Audrey trembled as he placed the tip of the cold blade against her shoulder. Her breathing was fast and shallow, her eyes squeezed shut. Her hands formed fists at her side.**

'Then you ram your palm down on the hilt, forcing the blade up, underneath the shoulder blade'

**The pair switched places and the trainee took back the knife, placing it where the mentor directed. Audrey twisted slightly, trying to escape the mentor's iron grip but he held her fast. **'You'll get used to the struggling, just remember to keep your grip firm or get an attendant to hold them down. Now, it's a sharp upwards movement you're looking for. Continue'

**With that, the trainee slammed his palm down on the knife handle and an anguished scream tore from Audrey's throat.**

She was woken abruptly by a scream, her scream, and tumbled out of the bed, retching. Jack was there in an instant, 'No!' she yelled, shrinking against the bed, curling into a ball.

'Hey it's just me, remember?' he said gently, placing a hand on her knee, it felt ridged and uneven through the thin cotton of the hospital gown- he made a mental note to make sure the doctor took a look at that later.

On recognising him, Audrey collapsed against him, breathing heavily. Jack was a little taken aback by this sudden show of trust but quickly enveloped her in his arms. 'Shhhh, it was just a nightmare, they can't hurt you any more' he soothed. Her right arm was twitching uncontrollably.

After a couple of minutes he stirred, 'Let's get you back on to the bed' he murmured, gently lifting Audrey onto the bed. Even now he couldn't believe how light she was, it worried him how easily he could feel her bones jutting out under her skin.

'I'm just going to get Dr Jenkins okay? She'll want to examine you properly now you're awake' Audrey's eyes were blank now, just staring into the distance. Jack sighed and left to find Amanda.

He promptly returned with the doctor in tow, Audrey recoiled slightly. 'Take it easy okay, she just needs to get a look at your injuries.' Jack said, sitting down by the bed and taking her hand. She looked uncertain but nodded and sat up slightly. He quickly moved to her side and helped her upright.

'Can you hold out your arm for me?' Amanda said gently, Audrey obeyed silently, eyeing her warily. The doctor quickly inspected the various injuries and scars that covered her forearm and hand, making careful notes on a clipboard. 'Okay, now make a fist' Audrey did so, a little nervous, her arm shook slightly.

'That's great Audrey, now the other arm' Audrey frowned slightly and held out her right arm, the movement was jolted, not nearly as fluid as in the left arm. Amanda looked concerned but again made quick notes on the multiple burns and cuts that littered her skin.

'Okay now make a fist for me' Audrey's frown deepened in concentration as her little and ring fingers slowly curled into her palm. Now the doctor looked worried, Audrey's index and middle fingers twitched but refused to bend, her thumb remained stoically at their side. 'Hmm, can you try turning your wrist over so it faces the floor?' Her arm was trembling with the effort of holding it out to the doctor but other than that there was no movement as Audrey tried to turn her wrist. She looked down at the floor, ashamed.

'Hey, don't worry about it, we can fix that later' Amanda tried to reassure her, but some of the worry remained in her eyes. They moved to Audrey's lower legs next, Jack seething silently as he took in the broken fibula that hadn't quite healed straight. There were odd puncture marks around her ankle that Amanda examined with a slightly confused expression, Jack wasn't sure he wanted to know what had made them.

He put his arm around Audrey as the doctor lifted the gown up slightly so she could check her knees; he had a nasty feeling about them. His suspicions were confirmed by the sharp gasp that escaped Amanda. 'Jack' her voice was small as she looked up at him. His face was grim. 'There's a bullet wound here… I think… I think they kneecapped her'

Jack hissed 'Bastards, either she tried to escape or…'

'Or what?' Amanda asked.

'If a prisoner tries to escape, he gets a kneecap blown. But so do the prisoners in the cells either side of his, that way most plans are reported before an attempt is made. Just another way to control the camps…' Amanda had tears in her eyes.

'Oh G-d' she breathed. Jack just hugged Audrey tighter.

Suddenly, the door flew open and two guards marched in, followed by steely voice. Audrey cowered into Jack's chest as he tried to soothe her. 'Get that man away from my daughter!' said the voice.

Jack looked up and felt his stomach swoop through the floor. Stood in the doorway, with a thunderous look on his face, was James Heller.

**Go on, hit that button and review, I write much faster when I know there are people to write for ;) and of course if you have anything you'd particularly like to see during the story, feel free to let me know**


	7. Revelation

**A/N glad you're all sticking with me on this, i hope you guys enjoy reading it as much as i enjoy writing it. I've got a little plot bunny hopping round in my head but i need a few chapters to set it up properly so hang on in there :)**

Chapter Seven- Revelation

'Get that man away from my daughter.' The room was thrown into chaos. The two guards stepped forward to grab Jack, pulling him roughly away from Audrey.

'Jack!' she shrieked as he was torn from her, 'Jack!' She looked at the doctor in confusion.

'Mr Secretary, please-' Jack shouted, trying to twist out of the guards' grip. Audrey tried to run after him but was caught by Amanda. 'No! Let go of me! Jack!' she cried.

'Jack's going away for a little while sweetie' she tried to tell her, though she was just as confused as Audrey. Audrey was oblivious, just shouted Jack's name again, trying to escape the doctor's hold. Secretary Heller looked slightly horrified upon seeing his daughter's reaction but did not tell the guards to stop as they dragged Jack out of the room. 'Take him back down to Holding.' Another second and Jack was gone.

Audrey looked bewildered, lost. Where had he gone? Why? She glanced fearfully at the grey haired man by the door. Amanda sensed her anxiety. 'Audrey let's sit you back down okay?' Audrey looked at the doctor, seeking a reassurance she couldn't give. 'It's okay, Jack will be back before you know it, just-'

'Oh no he won't' Heller cut in. Amanda shot him a furious look as Audrey's nervous frown deepened. She turned back to Audrey and managed to manoeuvre her back onto the bed, there were a few spots of blood on her gown; in her desperate attempt to reach Jack, she had torn the stitches where the chest tube had been. Amanda sighed quietly and sat down next to her. She watched for a moment as Audrey picked at a few loose threads on the hem.

'Audrey?' she paused but didn't look up at the doctor. 'Do you recognise the man over there?' Her eyes flickered over to the man and she shook her head. Amanda pursed her lips slightly and squeezed Audrey's hand. 'That's okay, I'm just going to go talk to him for a few minutes. Is that alright?' Audrey gave a tense nod and drew her knees up to her chest, rocking gently. Amanda squeezed her hand again and got up to speak to Heller.

She ushered him out of the room. 'I want to speak to my daughter' he said firmly. Amanda struggled to hide her frustration with the man.

'Do you have any idea what you've done?' Heller looked confused and angry, 'she was finally beginning to trust someone'

'I'm sorry doctor but I don't want Jack Bauer anywhere near Audie, he's the reason she's even in this situation. She'll get over him soon enough'

'I'm well aware of their history, Sir, however I still believe that having Jack around is in your daughter's best interests; she's improved dramatically in the past eight hours or so, the majority of her progress is down to Jack.'

'Doctor, this isn't a negotiation. Yes Jack may help her in the short term, but long term he'll only put her in danger. Rip the band-aid straight off yes? I have already filed a restraining order against Jack to that effect' he made to move past the doctor. She held her hand up to stop him.

'Mr Heller, please wait here, I will ask Audrey if she wants to see you' Heller looked taken aback but agreed. Amanda shut the door behind her as she walked back in to Audrey. She had a hopeless look on her face now, a look that worried Amanda; she had come so far in the last few hours, she just hoped her father's anger wasn't going to undo it all. Her worries were only confirmed when she realised that Audrey's eyes had glazed over and she was muttering to herself. Her fingers tapped out an irregular rhythm on her knee.

'Audrey, the man outside wants to speak to you, do you want me to let him in?' she didn't look up, just continued to stare into the distance. Amanda placed a hand on her shoulder. Audrey flinched away and pressed herself back against the headboard, fear flashing through her eyes. 'Okay, take it easy, I get it, too much' she backed away with her hands held up in surrender. Audrey seemed to relax for a moment then went back to her mantra. The doctor sighed and walked back out to Heller.

'Mr Secretary, I'm sorry but she doesn't want to see you.'

'Nonsense, don't be ridiculous, of course she wants to see me, I'm her father' he said, brushing past her. She grasped his arm, 'I realise that, Sir, but right now, she doesn't. She doesn't recognise you. Added to which you just took away the only person she feels comfortable around. To her you're just another threat.'

Heller pushed past the doctor anyway and strode to Audrey's bed. He took a seat next to her. Inwardly he wasn't nearly as confident as he liked to sound; he was in turmoil. The shell of a woman in front of him wasn't his daughter, wasn't the capable, headstrong woman he had come to rely on. It killed him to see the fear in her eyes when she looked at him; he'd never seen her look like that before. It was in that moment that James Heller realised the daughter he had mourned for the last year was truly gone. The only family he had left had been taken from him. By Jack Bauer.

White hot fury bubbled inside of him as he stalked out of Medical towards Holding.

* * *

Jack hadn't stopped pacing since the guards had shoved him into the cell. He didn't have to feign surprise when Heller barged into the room, throwing the door open wide; he had expected him to keep a vigil at Audrey's bedside. The Secretary shook with barely contained rage when he spoke. 'You took my daughter from me'

A wave of guilt washed over Jack but he brushed it aside; yes, Audrey had gone to China to find him, but she wouldn't have if the man stood in front of him had tried to get him back in the first place. Jack opened his mouth to reply but his angry retort died in his throat when Heller spoke again. 'You will never see Audrey again. If you care about her at all, you won't try to. You're cursed, Jack. Everything you touch, one way or another, ends up dead.' His eyes were icy cold.

Jack felt like he had been slapped, he grasped the back of the chair for support as his legs threatened to give way beneath him. He took a deep breath but his eyes glinted dangerously as he locked gaze with the older man. 'You think I wanted this?' he shouted, 'All I have ever done is what you, and men like you, have asked of me. And it has cost me everything!' he suddenly threw the chair across the room. The tension in the room was palpable as the two men faced each other, sheer fury rolling off them in waves. Jack struggled to control himself. 'I have nothing, nothing except Audrey. She needs my help and she's going to get it.'

'Just look at yourself Jack, you're a wreck, you can't help her! What Audrey needs is stability; can you give her that? Face it Jack, maybe sooner, maybe later, you're old life is going to suck you right back in, and my daughter will pay the price.'

'What Audrey _needs_ is someone who understands what she's going through. Someone where she doesn't have to explain anything; the scars, the fear. You know you're right, I am responsible for her condition. But so are you. Perhaps if you'd been less concerned with the political climate and actually tried to get me out of China, she wouldn't have followed me there in the first place!'

Now it was Heller's turn to look shocked. He stammered slightly 'I… I tried, there was nothing I could do-'

Jack snorted in disgust, 'Oh come on James, you and I both know you have more than enough influence to have arranged my release. You know what I think? I think you were glad they took me, I think you feared my relationship with Audrey from the moment you found out. I think-' Jack stopped his tirade abruptly. He narrowed his eyes at Heller for a moment; an expression he couldn't quite identify had flashed across the man's face.

'Oh' he breathed. 'You knew… You knew they were going to take me' Jack sank to the floor as realisation hit him. 'You knew' he whispered again, to himself this time. 'Do you know what they did to me?' he asked, his voice shaking, 'When you found out, did you even stop to think what they would do? Or was I just an acceptable loss?' He was yelling now but he didn't care. He tore his shirt off over his head and let it drop to the floor, revealing the mash of scars that disfigured his torso. Heller lowered his gaze. 'Look at me!' Jack shouted. He beat a hand on his chest, 'Look at me!' He was teetering off the edge of sanity. 'Look at what they did to me' his voice cracked and tears ran down his face. They grey haired man looked repelled by what he saw, he could hardly bear to look at Jack.

Jack began to regain his composure. 'When they show you the images of Audrey's injuries- and I'll tell you James, they make mine look like a picnic on Sunset Boulevard- just remember, they're on you, and you alone.' Heller was dumbstruck, just stared at Jack in disbelief. Jack carefully put his shirt back on and moved his face into a grim smile, 'Now, Mr Secretary, if you do not rescind that restraining order you've got on me, I will walk out of this room and tell Audrey everything I have just learnt. Am I understood?'

'Don't be ridiculous Jack, she'd never believe you, she wouldn't even understand-'

'Understand what? That your cowardice put us both through hell and back? That you're the reason she'll never be able to look in a mirror again without being overcome by shame and painful memories?' Jack calmed his breathing for a moment. 'Mr Heller, are you really willing to take the risk that, when she eventually remembers you, she'll block you out of her life completely? Because we both know she'd do it.' The blood drained from the man's face; he looked broken. He knew Jack had him cornered; he'd given away far too much. He bowed his head in defeat.

'I'll make a call' Jack swept past him, 'but Jack,' he paused, 'If you do anything to bring harm to my daughter, I will destroy you.' Jack nodded stiffly; at least there they were on the same page.

* * *

When Jack arrived back in Medical, he ran in to see Dr Jenkins and Angela struggling with Audrey, presumably trying to complete their interrupted examination. 'Audrey, Audrey, it's okay honey, I'm back' when she looked up at him he was relieved to see some of the fear retreat a little bit. 'Amanda, give us a moment will you?' Amanda nodded, looking grateful, and followed Angela into the next room.

'Shh sh sh, it's okay now, I'm back, I'm not going anywhere' he soothed, sitting down on the bed and wrapping his arms around Audrey.

'Wh… Where'd you go?' she asked tentatively, grabbing hold of his hand.

'Oh nowhere important, I just had some paperwork to fill out with immigration…' it was a terrible excuse and he knew it but Audrey seemed to accept it. Her breathing was even again and she turned her face into Jack's chest, but not before his eyes caught the tiniest of smiles flit across her face.

**Hope you liked it, even with the somewhat cheesy finish... don't forget to leave a review, i'm a sucker for feedback- makes me write/think faster :D**


	8. Laughter in the Dark

**A/N okay so this is a bit of set up chapter, but I liked the idea that Audrey was pretty tough in China, at least for a while. And yes I've brought in another character (one that I do own) but don't worry, he's got nothing on Jack :) enjoy!**

Chapter Eight- Laughter in the Dark

They sat in silence for a few minutes whilst Audrey's heart rate slowed, Jack could feel it beating against his chest. Finally he stirred. 'How about we get you cleaned up?' Audrey looked confused. 'You'll feel much better for it, I promise' she looked at him doubtfully, but nodded. 'Okay, I'm just going to get Amanda. I'll be back in a second.' He gently eased himself away from her. She didn't look too happy about it but she wasn't panicking; he took that as a good sign.

'So how did you escape Heller?' asked Amanda, in a slightly bemused voice, as Jack shut the door to the store room behind him. 'We talked through a few things and came to an… understanding' Jack replied, not really wanting to go into any detail. 'Ah' Amanda took the hint and moved on, 'thanks for calming her down'

Jack ran a hand through his hair, 'don't mention it, she just needs a little time…' his face held a pained expression. 'Doc, I want to get her cleaned up a little, hopefully she'll relax more if she's hurting a little less. It'll be good for her to feel a bit more… normal again. And you can complete your examination'

'Yeah of course, umm give me a second' she quickly went round the store room grabbing all the items she needed- sterile dressings, tape, cloth, alcohol, a bowl of warm water. She put them on a cart. Jack gave her a grateful look before opening the door so she could push the cart through.

'Hey Audrey' said Amanda, Audrey was hugging her knees to her chest, eyeing the doctor suspiciously. 'Audrey?' she looked up at Jack, 'Amanda's going to clean you up a bit okay? Don't worry; I'll be right here the whole time.' He sat down next to her and drew her onto his lap, cradling her head against his chest. She seemed relatively at ease until Amanda parted the back of her gown and traced a finger over some of the scabs. She shuddered and shut her eyes, tapping out a rhythm on her knee again. 'Shhh, it's okay' Jack cooed, he nodded at the doctor.

As gently as she could manage, Amanda began to wipe away months of grime and dried blood. Audrey flinched at first but began to relax again as she realised the contact wasn't painful. 'Jesus' Amanda murmured after a few minutes; the dirt fell away to reveal more wounds and scars. The ropy scar she had noticed earlier stretched all the way from Audrey's left hip to the opposite shoulder. It was jagged and raised; she didn't even want to think about what could have left that kind of mark. She shivered.

'Doc?' she looked up, 'Don't dwell on it' Jack mouthed over Audrey's head. Amanda nodded and continued, trying to clear her head. Audrey whimpered occasionally when the doctor brushed over a particularly sensitive area but other than that she remained silent with Jack stroking her hair. When the doctor finally finished the bowl of water was a nasty red brown colour- even after changing the water twice. Audrey had almost dozed off in Jack's lap. Amanda began to prepare the alcohol and cotton swabs.

'Audrey, sweetie, this next bit is going to sting a little but it'll be over before you know it.' She nodded into Jack's chest and shut her eyes. She gasped and bit her lip when the first sting came; before long tears traced their way down her cheeks and she sobbed. 'Hold my hand' Jack whispered, 'squeeze it as hard as you can okay? Come on' he took her hand. At that an old memory stole into her thoughts but when Jack looked down she didn't look upset of frightened, she seemed almost… content.

**Audrey couldn't help crying out in pain as she was tossed back into her cell; it had been a bad session today. The fresh acid burn on her arm sent searing pain through her shoulder every time she moved. But that wasn't nearly as bad as the agony that ripped up her leg if it so much as twitched. **

**She dragged herself into the corner and leant her back against the wall, breathing heavily. 'Bad session today, huh?' came the voice through the wall. Audrey winced as she tried to get into a slightly more comfortable position. 'Definitely had better… I think my leg is broken' the man on the other side of the wall let out a low whistle, 'Guess you did get a bad one. Your leg, what does it look like? Swollen? Crooked? Any break in the skin?' Audrey looked down at her leg and paled; the bottom half of her shin was bent at an unnatural angle. 'You don't want to know'**

'**Come on, I was an army doctor before this particular rotation remember? It's nothing I haven't seen before' Audrey gave a brief chuckle before looking back down at her shin. She swallowed. 'Pretty swollen, crooked, but no break in the skin. That's a good sign right?' she tried to sound light-hearted but failed miserably, she knew what she'd have to do next.**

'**Crooked? Damn… You know what that means…'**

'**Um hmm' Audrey mumbled. Her hands shook as she balled up a part of her shirt and bit down on it. Taking a deep breath she tried to steel herself. 'Count of three?' he said, 'One, two, three' Audrey's scream was muffled by her shirt as she jerked her leg an inch to the left. She stopped. 'I can't, I can't do it' she groaned, her breath coming in ragged gasps.**

'**Yes you can, hold my hand, squeeze it as hard as you can okay? Come on' he put his hand through the hole in the wall and she took it. 'Okay, one,' she tightened her grip, 'two' she shut her eyes, 'three!' Excruciating pain tore through her leg as she finally straightened it, but she squeezed his hand for all she was worth and only an agonised moan escaped her lips. After a moment he spoke. 'See, that wasn't so bad now, was it?' he said wryly.**

'**Oh you bastard' she replied with a short laugh. She winced. He passed through two roughened metal rods, the twisted kind used for reinforced concrete, each about a foot and a half long. He couldn't see her face but he could imagine her puzzled expression. 'Put them on either side of your leg and tear some of your shirt into strips to hold them in place, it'll form a crude splint'**

'**Thanks' she muttered, doing as he said, 'where'd you get these anyway?'**

'**I keep my eyes open' he replied mysteriously. She laughed again and began tearing at her shirt. The pain in her leg was still formidable but at least now it was a little more manageable. She rested her head on the wall for a moment and sighed. 'What are we doing here?' she asked.**

'**What do you mean?'**

'**I mean…' she struggled to find the right words, 'I mean, why are we still going? We could end this at any moment, all we'd need to do is tell them what they want to know… but we haven't, we're still hanging on.' She shook her head. 'Hanging on for what?'**

'**I don't know' he replied quietly, 'but hey', his voice brightened and he grabbed her hand again; 'don't you go giving up on me okay? I'm not sure I could take being here on my own again…' he didn't want to think about that too much, 'then I'd have no-one to talk to' he said with a small chuckle, trying to lighten the mood. Audrey noticed the change in tone and giggled, 'Sure you would, you'd just have to go back to making conversation with the rats. What were their names again?'**

'**Sousa and Alford' he laughed.**

'**The March Kings, of course, I bet they miss your little chats.' The pair burst into laughter; not that it was particularly funny, it was just a relief to feel normal again… Well as normal as you can feel with a broken leg and more cuts, bruises and burns than you can count. They settled into a comfortable silence.**

**After a few minutes he spoke, 'What's your favourite song?'**

'**What?'**

'**You heard, what's your favourite song?'**

'**Umm…' she searched through her memories for a song, 'Sir Duke by Stevie Wonder, no doubt about it'**

'**Good choice' he started humming the intro before breaking into the first verse. '**_**Music is a world within itself, with a language we all understand-'**_** he was horribly out of tune.**

'**Okay, stop, just stop. You're killing it!' she giggled. When he spoke again his tone was serious.**

'**When it all gets too much… You know what helps me?'**

'**No' her voice was a murmur.**

'**I tap out my favourite song, Tom Lehrer's "Poisoning Pigeons in the Park". It gives me something else to concentrate on. Something other than the hell we've found ourselves in.' they fell quiet again, simply grateful for each other's company.**

**This time it was Audrey's turn to break the silence. 'You know in all the time I've been here, I've never asked your name'**

'**I guess names don't mean all that much in this place' he said with a sigh.**

'**Still… I'm Audrey' she said. He paused for a long while before answering.**

'**Oliver, my name is Oliver'**

'There we go, all done' said Amanda brightly as she finished taping up the final dressing. Audrey's stomach grumbled loudly. 'Sorry' she muttered. Jack hugged her tightly. Amanda laughed lightly as she drew a tube of something out of her pocket. 'Here, try this' she said, passing it to Jack, 'it's nutrient paste used to treat malnourishment. Peanut butter flavour I think' Jack took it and unscrewed the cap before giving it to Audrey. Audrey squeezed some into her mouth and made a face, it definitely wasn't peanut butter, but she was so hungry she didn't care. Jack had to stop her as she squeezed out half the tube and swallowed it, 'take it slowly, it'll take a while to readjust to food'.

Sure enough, within minutes she had vomited the paste back up onto the floor. She looked down in shame, 'I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…' she whispered once her stomach settled again.

'Hey, look at me' Jack said, lifting her chin so their eyes could meet, 'You have nothing to be sorry for, you hear me? Nothing' he rubbed her back gently as she wiped her mouth. Amanda came over with a glass of water and a straw. 'Little sips, Audrey' she said as she guided the straw to her lips. Audrey mumbled something close to an apology again but managed to take a few sips. Suddenly her body went rigid. Jack looked up. Doyle was stood in the doorway. 'Audrey it's okay' Jack murmured 'I'll go talk to him outside, he's not going to hurt you' he walked over to Doyle and nudged him out of the room.

'How's she doing?' Doyle asked once the door closed. Jack let out a long sigh.

'Not so good, it's hard to believe she's the same woman I knew before… How are things on the outside?'

'Audrey's tip with Bloomfield panned out' Jack felt a flash of anger as he thought back to Dr Bradley 'it took us to an abandoned warehouse in Jefferson Heights. When we got there it was empty but there were stacks of empty weapons and munitions crates- enough for at least 20 guys. Chloe's working her magic with the satellite feeds as we speak, trying to track them down.'

'Guess that means you haven't recovered the component yet then? I'm surprised they haven't sent Bradley down to have another go at Audrey'

'Oh believe me, he tried- Nadia stepped in and had him escorted from the building' at that Jack gave a grim smile, 'but that doesn't change the fact that things are still pretty hairy with the Russians, the President is stalling them as best he can but they're getting impatient' Doyle said with a worried expression.

'Oh I bet they are' Jack replied. Suddenly Doyle's phone rang.

'_Yeah Chloe, what you got?' _

'_Satellite traced them to an empty apartment block in Compton, 425 South Oleander Avenue'_

'_Okay got it, I'm heading out with a team right now, have Charlie and Alpha units meet us there'_ He hung up. Sorry Jack, I've got to go, but I'll keep you in the loop.' He ran off.

'Go get the bastards, Mike' Jack shouted after him.

**Go on, write a review, I've got staff training tomorrow and need something to get me through it- make me smile!**


	9. Oliver

**A/N okay so a slightly shorter chapter this time around, a few things to be noted- for this fic, Audrey was in China for 11 months, 6 in the general camp, 5 in the block. The flashback from the previous chapter was three months in, the flashback in this chapter is from just before she was moved into the block. Flashback is in bold, any speech in bold is in chinese- speech not in bold is English. Enjoy :D**

Chapter Nine- Oliver

Medical was in chaos. Doyle ran through pushing a gurney; an agent lay on it with half the skin of his face burnt off and a metal rod embedded in his stomach. 'Agent, I'll take him from here' shouted Dr Jenkins 'Prep the OR, stat!' The man was wheeled away. Doyle collapsed against the wall looking shell shocked. Jack left Audrey on the bed and ran over to him.

'What the hell happened?' Jack demanded. Doyle just looked stunned; he didn't appear to have even heard. 'Doyle?!' Jack shook him, trying to get him to snap out of his daze. He did.

'They knew we were coming. They had the building rigged to blow, we walked straight into it' he shook his head in shock. 'Jesus. The blast took out the whole of Alpha unit, only two members from Charlie survived' he stopped, the second surviving member of Charlie unit was the man now fighting for his life in the OR- it wasn't looking good for him.

'How did they know?' Jack asked. Doyle shook his head again

'I don't know, Jack. Only me, Chloe and Nadia knew where we were headed. And the agents in the assault teams…' he trailed off. 'Jack, I think we've got a mole within CTU'

Jack was about to reply when a man stumbled past, supported by two other agent; he had a nasty gash on his forehead but otherwise was uninjured, 'I'm fine, really, guys its nothing' he protested before collapsing on the bed closest to Audrey. Audrey jumped and curled into a ball, pressing herself back against the headboard; to her the commotion was terrifying, the cacophony of noise deafening. Jack ran back over to her. 'Hey, hey it's okay, shhh' he caressed her hair and cheek. When she finally lifted her head again she glanced nervously at the unconscious man on the other bed.

As she looked at his face her body language changed dramatically; she gasped in shock and confusion, staring at the man in disbelief. She looked like she'd seen a ghost. Jack felt her tense and angled his face round to look at hers. He didn't understand the expression he saw. She started panicking. 'He can't be here, he can't be here' she repeated over and over again.

'Who? Who can't be here? Audrey? Audrey talk to me' Jack was worried now, he knelt down in front of her, trying to comprehend what she was saying. He moved himself so he blocked her view of the man. 'Audrey' he said slowly, 'who can't be here?'

She replied with one word. 'Oliver' she whispered. Now Jack was really confused.

'Okay' he said gently, his mind desperately trying to work out who she thought the man was. 'Why can't Oliver be here?'

'Because…' she could hardly bring herself to say the words, she felt guilt rising up inside her, threatening to consume her. 'Because I killed him.'

* * *

**Audrey was startled from sleep by the sound of keys outside the door. She curled up in the corner of her cell and squinted into the light as the door opened to reveal a pair of guards. 'Get up' one barked. She trembled a little as she used the wall to haul herself into a standing position. A pair of rough hands dragged her out into the corridor and forced a black sac over her head. She obediently placed her hands behind her back and allowed them to be bound- she knew the drill. When the barrel of a rifle jabbed between her shoulders she began to limp forward.**

**Eventually they came to a door. When it opened a gust of warm air swept in. The outside world. For a moment it was bliss; she hadn't felt a breeze on her skin in almost six months. The moment was lost, however, as she was pushed out into the sweltering heat- it must have been at least 40****°C. The gravel burnt her feet as she stumbled across it until finally they stopped and the sack was torn off her head. The blinding sunlight hurt her eyes after months in the dark; she blinked rapidly waiting for them to readjust. After a while she realised there was a man stood a few feet to her left, a man whose upper lip was curled derisively. Cheng.**

'**Kneel' he said with a sneer. Audrey stared back defiantly, without moving a muscle. Cheng nodded to a guard behind her, who rammed the butt of his rifle into the backs of her knees, sending her crashing into the dirt. A cough rattled through her as she inhaled a lungful of dust. The guard grabbed a fistful of her hair and yanked upwards so that she was finally forced to kneel before Cheng. '**That's much better.**' He smiled maliciously. She spat a globule of saliva and grit at his feet, and then bent double as he kicked her in the stomach. Her breathing was laboured as she straightened again but a grim smile has spread across her face; at least she still had some fight in her.**

**Just as she was getting her breath back she noticed another figure kneeling opposite her, his head bowed. '**I believe introductions are called for. Audrey Raines' **the man's face jerked upward, shame and disbelief mingled in his eyes, '**meet Oliver Harrison**' now it was Audrey's turn to look shocked.**

'Olly?**' in half a year she'd never actually seen him, just spoken to him through a wall.**

'Nice to finally meet you, Audie**' Oliver croaked with a small laugh. She smiled. Cheng spoke again.**

'But of course you two already know each other, from what I understand you have developed a rather close relationship**' Oliver looked up at Cheng, his expression pleading. **

'Please, don't hurt her, I'll do anything, just please, don't hurt her' **he begged.**

'**Silence' Cheng snarled, '**Mr Harrison, you know the rules. You _knew_ the rules when you attempted to become our most recent escapee'

'No' **Audrey gasped, she felt like she had been doused in icy-cold water. Fear and betrayal rushed through her. '**Audrey, I'm so sorry' **Oliver whispered desperately, finally bringing his eyes to meet hers. Cheng cut across them. '**Now, you both of course know the punished for an escape attempt, or, in Miss Raines' case, failure to report one' **Audrey closed her eyes in defeat. '**However, in light of your… relationship, I have decided to, how do you Americans say? "Change things up" a bit. Miss Raines, I will offer you a deal' **She felt a guard behind her step forward and cut through the ropes binding her hands. She grimaced and massaged her wrists. Oliver's hands were also untied.**

'You have a choice. You can either accept your punishment and spend what remains of your life a crippple' **A tear rolled down her cheek '**or, you can shoot Mr Harrison in the chest' **she stared at Cheng in horror as he placed a gun in her hands. **'If you attempt to shoot me, or any of my men, I will put a bullet in his liver. He will die slowly, and painfully' **He finished bluntly. Audrey looked down at the gun in dismay, and then lifted her gaze to meet Oliver's.**

'Oh you bastard' **she murmured. He gave a small smile. She glanced down at the gun again and let out a choked sob. '**I can't do it, I won't' **she whispered. She jumped slightly as Oliver placed his hands around hers; around the gun. '**Yes you can**' he whispered back. He lifted the gun to his chest, '**and you will**'**

'Don't!**' she begged as he wrapped her finger around the trigger.**

'Please, Audie, I can't do this on my own. But I won't let you pay for my mistake. Please' **he paused and took a deep breath, **'Together?' **Through her tears she managed to give a tiny nod.**

'I'm sorry' **was all he said as they pulled the trigger, his eyes were grateful.**

**The shot echoed around the courtyard and his body crumpled to the ground, blood streaming from his chest and pooling in the dirt. **'No!' **she screamed. She hugged his lifeless form to her chest; not caring that his blood was soaking into her shirt, staining her skin. She cupped his face with her hand; the slightest of smiles painted his lips but his eyes stared sightlessly past her into the sky. She was crying outright now, he body wracked by violent sobs. She rocked his body as her tears fell onto his cheek. She let out an anguished cry. A few moments later she was torn away from his body. **

**Cheng began clapping '**An admiral display from Mr Harrison, but, in truth, I don't make deals with prisoners.' **He laughed. 'Blow out one of her kneecaps' he barked to a guard. Audrey barely even registered the guard pressing the rifle against her knee, she was just staring at Oliver-or rather, the corpse that used to be Oliver- but when the bullet smashed its path through the joint she howled in pain. She too collapsed into the dirt. The last thing she saw before blacking out was two more guards dragging Oliver's body away through the dust, leaving a trail of drying blood in their wake.**

* * *

**Can't say its much a cliffhanger but it felt like a good place to end it. Hope you enjoyed it :)**


	10. Mind Games

**A/N I can't believe how ridiculously hard this was to write- I encountered a little bit of writers block so sorry about the late update. When you're reading this chapter think of it as from Audrey's mindset; difficulty concentrating, confusing etc. Again sorry it took so long. Enjoy!**

****Chapter Ten- Mind Games

Audrey wept uncontrollably into Jack's shoulder; her body shook violently but he held her to his chest, gently stroking the nape of her neck. He kissed the top of her head, waiting for the storm to pass. Eventually her cries began soft sobs. She looked up suddenly, afraid. She met his eyes with a desperate look, 'I didn't want to, they… they forced me to. I had to, I didn't have a choice. Please, you have to believe me, I didn't want to kill him…' she started to cry softly again and curled herself into a ball, overcome by grief and guilt. Jack used his finger to trace a circle on the back of her hand, over and over, until she lifted her head. 'It's okay, I get it, you did what you had to do. No-one is going to punish you for it.' He hugged her close and felt her relax by a fraction.

'I don't understand' she whispered 'Oliver is dead, how can he be here? He shouldn't be here. Why is he here?!' she was panicking again, rubbing her knee incessantly. Jack massaged his temples for a moment before beckoning to Doyle, who was stood by the door looking at Audrey with a worried expression. He walked over quickly. Jack stood and stepped away from the bed and, keeping his voice lowered, said 'the agent with concussion' he gestured towards the man, 'what is his name?'

'Tommy Ellison, he was lucky; a chimney breast protected him from the worst of the blast-' Jack had already turned back to Audrey.

He crouched down in front of her and sighed quietly. 'Audrey, the agent on the bed over there, his name isn't Oliver. His name is Tom, Tom Ellison'

'But he has, he has the same…' she struggled for the right word, clenching a fist in frustration; why was this so hard? 'Ta… Tat'

'Tattoo?' Jack finished. He turned to look at Ellison, who was apparently unconscious.

'Tattoo, yes, on his wrist, a… a scorpion' she gestured emphatically at her own wrist, mimicking the motion of a scorpion tail with her finger. Her movements were agitated now. Jack's eyes flew to Tom's wrist. Sure enough, there was a small scorpion inked into the skin. He began to feel uneasy. 'Doyle, I need your phone' he said urgently.

'What? Why? What's going on?'

'Just give it to me, now.' Doyle grabbed the phone out of his pocket and handed it to Jack. Audrey should not recognise Tom Ellison, let alone know about a small tattoo on the man's wrist. 'Audrey, I need you come with me for a little bit' Audrey looked scared but slowly stood up and wrapped her arm around Jack for support. Until now he hadn't realised just how difficult walking was for her; she leant on him heavily and tensed whenever she transferred her weight from one foot to the other. After a couple of steps Jack gave in and half carried her out of the bay and into Amanda's office. There was a small sofa next to the door that he guided Audrey to.

Doyle followed them into the room and stood in the opposite corner; he tried to give her as much space as he could- she was still nervous around him. Jack punched a number into the phone and waited whilst the call went through. _'O'Brian' _said a voice.

'_Chloe, I need a favour. I don't have much time' _Jack said quickly _'a CTU agent, Tom Ellison, pull his personnel file. Tell me everything we know about him- especially his movements over the last year'_

'_Jack? Yeah sure, just give me a minute' _Jack could already hear the tapping of keys through the phone. 'Jack, what's going on?' Doyle demanded, 'Why are you so interested in Ellison?'

'Audrey recognised him, even identified his tattoo' Jack replied. Doyle looked at him in confusion.

'That's not possible, he's only been working here for 4 months. Audrey was in China all that time'

'Exactly. What did he do before joining CTU? Was he with another agency or what?'

'No… No he was a private military contractor for a couple of years after leaving the Marine Corps'

Chloe came back on the line _'Jack, Ellison worked as a PMC after being dishonourably discharged from the Marine Corps. He was employed by Blackrock Security on assignments in Tanzania, Nicaragua, China, Iraq-'_

'_China? When?' _Jack pressed his forehead against the wall, Doyle watched him intently.

'_A little over 5 months ago, it was 6 month contract-'_ There was a loud bang as the door was kicked open. Ellison burst in and grabbed Audrey, pulling her in front of him and holding a gun beneath her jaw. 'Put the phone down, now' he said slowly, keeping Audrey in an iron grip and his eyes trained on Jack. Jack hung up the phone and placed it carefully on the desk.

'Olly, what's going on? What are you doing? I thought you were dead' Audrey whimpered as she struggled to remain upright. Ellison turned the gun on Jack and whispered in her ear, 'I don't have time to explain. I'm getting you out of here Audie, we're escaping. This isn't CTU, Cheng had this set up to deceive you. But I won't let that happen, I'm going to keep you safe. You have information they need, if I use you as a hostage they won't shoot us. Trust me' He smiled maliciously at Jack as he turned Audrey against him. The room around Audrey changed before her eyes; the stained concrete and rusted metal returned with a vengeance, the guards were back in their uniforms and the light yellowed and dimmed.

'I trust you' she replied quietly, horribly aware of the two guards in the corner, whips in hand but no guns. One of them shouted out. 'Audrey, don't listen to him, he's trying to trick you! You're not in China anymore' but Jack could see she was already gone, her mind had slipped all too easily back into survival mode. She only saw what he wanted her to believe. 'If you try to stop us, I'll blow her head off!' Ellison shouted, it was all a game to him. He knew exactly how to manipulate her. He hummed in her ear. She recognised the tune and smiled briefly, then the pair backed out of the room. Once in the corridor, guards appeared from everywhere, barking harsh commands and raising their weapons. 'There are so many of them' she whispered fearfully 'We'll never make it out'

'Yes we will, we going to make it this time' he replied quickly, 'They can't stop us.' One of the guards from the cell ran out, shouting. 'Hold your fire, hold your fire! Don't shoot' he waved down the other guards.

'See, its working' Ellison whispered, Audrey's heart lifted in hope.

'Ellison, you'll never make it out of this building alive' the guard said slowly.

'I will if you want her returned without a bullet in her skull' Oliver shouted back, jerking Audrey violently and ramming the gun back beneath her jaw. Audrey gasped in pain but didn't complain; she knew the ruse had to be convincing or they'd work out that Oliver would never actually hurt her- then they'd never escape. They painstakingly worked their way towards the stairwell at the end of the corridor. Both were so focused on keeping the guards in their line of sight that they didn't notice another take up position behind them.

* * *

Pain exploded in Ellison's shoulder as Curtis pulled the trigger. He fell to the ground, taking Audrey with him. The gun lay on the floor next to them as he clutched at his shoulder. 'No! Oliver!' Audrey screamed in panic as Ellison passed out, he was going into shock. She grabbed the gun out of his hand and stood over his body, shaky but protective. She pointed the gun at Jack. 'Stay back!' she shrieked, hysterical. 10 other guns were now raised and pointing directly at her.

Jack shouted desperately at the agents in the room, 'Stand down! Do not shoot!' he turned back to face Audrey and softened his voice a little, 'She's not going to hurt anyone'. Doyle walked forward and spoke quietly into Jack's ear. 'Jack, you know that whilst she's pointing that gun at you my men can't put their weapons down'

'Then have your men leave the room, I don't want one of them getting trigger happy; she's not going to hurt anyone' he repeated, 'she's just confused, she doesn't know what she's doing'

'That's what worries me' Doyle replied but gestured to his men to leave the room. Within a minute only Jack, Audrey and an unconscious Ellison remained.

'He shot Olly' Audrey said accusingly.

'I know, Audie, I know, but he didn't mean to' Jack said, pleading. 'Audrey, put the gun down. Oliver needs a doctor, but the doctor can't come in here until you put the gun down' G-d, her behaviour was so erratic; he didn't even know what to say. He took a deep breath. 'Audrey, I need you to do something for me, just a little thing.' She looked at him suspiciously. 'Look at your arm' her eyes darted to her forearm. It was littered with scars and cuts, bending and twisting their way across her skin. 'Now look at Oliver's.' She glanced down at his exposed wrist. She could clearly see his tattoo, but other than that the skin was clean, unmarred. Why hadn't she noticed that before?

Jack watched as a little realisation dawned on her. 'You see now, don't you? He's not the man you think he is. He was employed to gain your trust, a trust that they used against you.' Audrey closed her eyes for a moment as a blistering sun and a pool of blood burst into her thoughts. She was so tired, so tired of this. She just wanted a way out, she didn't want to hang on any more. She began to weep quietly; she would never truly escape China.

'Audrey please, talk to me, how about we go back to the beginning?'

'I'm not going back!' she screamed. Jack watched in horror as she put the muzzle of the gun to her own temple. 'I can't go back. I can't go back. I can't go back' over and over again, she was spiralling out of control.

'Audrey, stop! What are you doing?' Jack's voice was now as terrified as hers. 'I know this is hard, I get that, but please… this' he paused for a second and tried to inject as much emotion into his voice as possible 'this isn't the way out.'

'Everything hurts, Jack' she whispered, 'my body, my mind… I can't even tell what's real anymore! I'm done fighting…' she looked back down at Oliver. 'He kept me going in China, without him, I would have given in months ago. You know what they did to break me? After I killed him, they left his body in my cell.' She gave a cold laugh, 'I didn't sleep for a week because I was too busy trying to keep the rats off him… but there's not much you can do about maggots. I lasted just three weeks before I gave in, I was weak' She sighed as tears fell down her cheeks. 'I am weak'

'No, you're not weak. You survived. And right now, that's all that matters. Don't throw that all away. I just got you back; I can't lose you now, not like this. Do you remember what you said to me on our second date, after I told you about how screwed up my life was?' Audrey shook her head. 'You said to me "The mystery of human existence lies not in just staying alive, but in finding something to live for"

'Fyodor Dostoyevsky' Audrey muttered absently. Jack continued.

'You've stayed alive, now, let's find you something to live for. Live for me' Jack sighed and stepped forward, placing his hands around hers, then put his head to the side of hers, their bodies placed in a macabre embrace. 'There, now if you go, I go with you' Audrey's hands shook beneath his; he could feel her resolve waning. Very slowly, she allowed him to take the gun. She collapsed against him and broke down completely, he began to cry too; his tears lost themselves in her hair. 'Don't you ever do that to me again. Ever.' He whispered hoarsely.

'I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry' she whispered back as Jack wrapped his arms tightly around her. Their hearts were pounding against each other.

Doyle walked in, but neither really noticed, he took the gun from Jack and grabbed Oliver. Jack looked up for a moment spoke to him quietly, 'get his shoulder patched up and give him a shot of adrenaline, then move that sonofabitch up to Interrogation. I'd like a few minutes with him… Alone'

**Don't forget to review, with any luck the next chapter won't be so long in the making...**


	11. An Eye For An Eye

**A/N okay so this chapter is a bit... well graphic is a little strong, but something along those lines. 4 reviews for the last chapter, oh how I grinned, so keep it up :D Enjoy!**

****Chapter Eleven- an Eye for an Eye

It had taken Audrey a little over half an hour to fall into an uneasy sleep, curled up in Jack's arms on the bed. Angela had fixed things so that she had her own room in the hope she might settle down easier without so many strange faces around. Another nurse has stopped the bleeding in Ellison's shoulder and put a small dressing over the wound. She had also given him a shot of adrenaline, as per Jack's request. Ellison was now sat in Interrogation, waiting.

Doyle spoke quietly as he walked into Audrey's room. 'Chloe checked Ellison's phone records; 20 minutes before the raid he made two calls to an unregistered cell located 2 blocks away from the target. I think we found our mole.' Jack grunted his agreement and slowly eased his arm out from around Audrey. She stirred a bit, but didn't wake. 'I think I've let the bastard stew for long enough, have someone tell Agent Burke his expertise will be required in twenty minutes' Jack said as he walked to the door. 'Hey Angela, can you keep an eye on Audrey for me? I have something I need to take care of upstairs'

'Two eyes, as often as I can spare them' she said, then giggled a little. Jack looked at her with a confused expression. 'Sorry, I have a thing for the Lord of the Rings…' she said with a smile. Jack still didn't have a clue but nodded as if he understood and walked away. Doyle followed, equally bewildered.

* * *

When Jack and Doyle walked into the observation room, Jack looked at Ellison in disgust. He was sat at the table in Interrogation staring straight ahead as if he hadn't a care in the world. That was about to change.. 'Turn off the monitoring equipment and give me your gun' Jack said.

'Don't be ridiculous Jack; we wait until Burke gets here. We do this by the book- I'm not having you going off playing cowboy on me. You can't help Audrey from a prison cell.' Doyle replied, not moving an inch. Jack looked furious and was about to grab Doyle's gun anyway when Dr Jenkins walked into the room.

'Agent Doyle, good, one of your men said I could find you up here.' She bit her lip, wishing she didn't have to keep talking. 'I'm sorry to have to inform you that the man you brought in earlier, Agent Ketter, is dead. Didn't even make it off the table. I'm sorry.' Doyle didn't say anything, but the hurt in his eyes was clear to see. The doctor left the two men in silence. Without a word, Doyle handed his gun to Jack and switched off the monitoring equipment. Jack walked through into the interrogation room.

* * *

Ellison looked a little apprehensive, but defiant, as Jack moved a chair beneath the door handle- jamming the door shut. Jack looked at him in revulsion, and then walked behind him. Ellison's hands were cuffed behind his back to the chair, he couldn't turn around. Very slowly, but firmly Jack pushed his thumb into the bullet wound in the man's shoulder. He let out a strangled growl of pain. 'That was for Agent Ketter' Jack said quietly.

'You'll lose your job for that Bauer. I have rights.' Ellison snarled. Jack leant in close and whispered menacingly in his ear.

'I can't say I'm too worried about that right now, but thank you for your concern. For future reference though, I'll let you in on a little secret. See that camera up there?' Jack pointed to the camera in the top-right corner of the room. Ellison nodded. 'And that microphone there?' Again, Jack pointed and Ellison nodded. 'When they're recording, each has a little red light that blinks on and off. Now, look closely, what do you see?' Ellison glanced over at the objects. There was no red light.

'Are you going to let him do this?!' He shouted at the glass opposite him. Jack chuckled coldly.

'I can't say that's going to do you much good either. You see, the only man behind that glass was a good friend of the late Agent Ketter- the agent who you as good as murdered with that phone call of yours. Where do you think I got the gun?' Jack pulled the gun from his jeans and held it loosely in his hand, apparently inspecting the black metal of the barrel. Ellison swallowed uneasily. 'It's just you and me for the next twenty minutes'. Ellison tried to look defiant again but Jack could see the fear that had crept into his eyes. He smiled innocently, before changing his grip on the gun and smashing it into the man's shoulder. Ellison roared in pain. 'That was for Audrey' Jack whispered in his ear.

The other man was breathing heavily, trying to compose himself. 'They messed her up pretty good didn't they?' he spat out, 'Now there's a girl who's not right in the head.' He laughed. Jack stoically ignored his taunts.

'Who are you?' Jack asked, 'You're not Oliver Harrison, and I very much doubt your name is Tom Ellison.' The man took no notice of Jack's question and continued.

'You know I nearly turned down the China job? Didn't think there would be enough action, but when I found out _who _the assignment was and their relationship to you, I just couldn't resist. Looking back, I really rather enjoyed it. It was a bit of a holiday really; sit around doing sweet nothing all day, and then chat to a pretty lady all night' he smirked at Jack, who promptly pistol whipped him.

'Who are you?' Jack shouted again, before bringing the gun down on the man's knee.

'Don't I look even the tiniest bit familiar? People always used to say how alike we looked when we were kids' Jack looked confused; he didn't have a clue what he was talking about.

'If you don't want a bullet in that spine of yours, you'll give me a straight answer within the next 5 seconds. One, two-' Jack pressed the gun into the small of his back.

'Okay cool it John Wayne' the man sneered, 'seeing as you asked so nicely' he grunted as the metal of the gun dug into his skin, 'my name is Benny Myers. You murdered my sister.' Jack almost dropped the gun in shock. He looked closely at the man's face; Nina was definitely there, the shape of his nose, the pale green of his eyes, the angle of his jaw. Yes this was definitely her brother. 'You took my sister from me; I was sure as hell going to take the woman you loved from you. An eye for an eye. I bet you can't even look at her now, it's a shame, she must have been really beautiful once.'

'She still is.' Jack murmured, his eyes glazing for a moment before sharpening. 'Your sister was a traitor and a murderer' he said coldly, 'I guess that's something you two have in common. Maybe it's genetic.'

'I must be related to your girlfriend then, her being a murderer and a traitor too' Myers retorted angrily. Jack stopped dead.

'What are you talking about?' he hissed.

'Of course you wouldn't know, you've been out of the game a while- you know you really should catch up on things' Myers snorted but his derision was cut short as Jack kicked his chair over backwards. Winded, he gasped for breath.

'I am not in the mood for games _Benny_' Jack said, frustrated. Myers continued.

'While you were… away… you missed the attempted assassination of one Secretary James Heller- car bomb en route to the DOD-Senate conference in Washington. The Secret Service caught it in time to warn Heller but they were too late to save the two agents already in the vehicle' Myers gave sickening laugh 'Boom! Next thing they knew they were scraping the pieces off the tarmac.' He chuckled again, making an explosion with his fist 'Of course they could never prove it was the Chinese'. Fury simmered inside Jack as he smashed the chair into the floor; Myers was now loose but still had his hands cuffed behind him. Jack slammed him up against the wall.

'Why are you telling me this you sonofabitch?!' He shouted. Benny just laughed harder.

'Where do you think they got their information? Audrey Raines. Your whore has the blood of two American agents on her hands, all because she couldn't take a little pain.' He grinned maniacally. Jack punched him in the stomach and rammed his elbow into his nose.

'You think you could do better? Well let's see shall we?' Jack forced him face down onto the floor. Pressing his knee into his back, Jack proceeded to break both of his thumbs, then slowly, methodically, each of his fingers. Myers threw up onto the floor by his head. Jack let him choke on his own vomit for a few seconds as he removed the cuffs, and then pressed the man's finger tips against his gun. Benny retched again. Jack yanked him up awkwardly by his shoulder, dislocating it. He screamed in pain and cried hysterically. Jack stopped for a moment as Doyle tapped on the window, 'You've got two minutes Jack' Jack nodded.

He held Myers up with one hand and with the other pressed the gun against his knee. 'Please don't, please' the man begged.

'It's not so much fun when you're on the receiving end, is it Myers?' Jack hissed viciously.

'You're insane' he whimpered weakly 'You can't do this'

'Oh but I can, you see, somehow you escaped your cuffs and went for the gun, we struggled and the gun went off. There was nothing I could do, it was nobody's fault. I'm Agent Doyle will back me up on that'

'You bet Jack' came Doyle's voice from behind the glass. With that, Jack pulled the trigger. He watched without emotion as Myers collapsed to the floor, clutching at his mangled knee and screaming in agony. Slowly, Jack knelt beside him and pulled his head close, he whispered something very quietly. Behind the glass, Doyle had to lip-read the words: 'How's that for "an eye for an eye"?'

Jack stood and moved the chair away from the door, then walked into observation. Doyle gave a brief nod of approval as he picked up the phone and dialled down to Medical. 'Can we get some bandages and another shot of adrenaline up to Interrogation? No don't worry about pain relief, he'll be fine.' As he hung up, Agent Burke strode into the room and looked through the window to the man sat in a repulsive puddle of blood and vomit. Burke pursed his lips 'Really? You had to take it that far? Jack, you know I can't stand the smell of puke' he said sarcastically, 'Still, at least you've left me _something_ to work with'. Doyle smiled and bit back a laugh before walking into the next room to supervise as the nurse dealt with Myers' knee.

A few moments later, Angela cautiously opened the door. Careful not to look through the window into Interrogation, she spoke to Jack, 'Audrey's awake again, she's been asking for you'

'Okay, I'll be right down' Jack replied, 'thanks Angela'. She nodded and left the room again. Jack turned to Burke. 'He knows where the component is, I'm sure of it. Let's get this wrapped up' He said, following Angela.

'Really? I'd never have thought of that. You can be so insightful sometimes Jack.' Burke retorted, his voice dripping with sarcasm, but Jack was already gone. With the nurse now finished in Interrogation, he began to prepare his equipment.

**Don't worry, the next chapter should be little more Jaudrey so hang on in there :)**


	12. Electricity

**A/N hello again, sorry this has been a bit of a wait, had my UKCAT yesterday- I've spent the last week or so desperately preparing for it, but I've got more time now so further updates should be a little more regular :D unfortunately you'll have to bear with me on the details of this chapter as I have no tactical training and I'm not an electrician but hopefully you'll be able to forgive that... Enjoy!**

Chapter Twelve- Electricity

Audrey's eyes brightened when Jack walked back into her room. 'Hey sweetheart, how are you feeling?' he asked. She gave a shy smile and shrugged lopsidedly. There were two unopened nutrient pastes left on the table next to the bed. 'Hungry?' she shook her head but Jack wasn't convinced. 'It's okay to say if you are' he said gently.

Audrey looked over at the tubes, 'A bit…' she murmured absently. Jack smiled and handed one of them to her. She looked at him blankly, not really sure what he expected her to do. When she pointed to her crippled hand and whispered 'I can't', Jack mentally kicked himself. _Nice going Jack. Nothing like rubbing it in. _'Sorry' he mumbled, then quickly took it from her and opened it. She gave that shy smile again.

'Remember, a little bit at a time' Jack said. Audrey listened this time and made her way through the tube slowly, in spite of the odd flavour. She'd managed about three quarters of it when she handed it back. 'Full' she said. Just before Jack took back the tube, her hand spasmed and it dropped to the floor. She gasped.

'Audrey? Audrey, what's wrong?' Jack demanded, worried. She moaned and bit her lip as her arm twisted painfully but managed to reply 'It's nothing… happens sometimes…' her eyes closed and she was breathing heavily, 'just need to… wait'. She grit her teeth but couldn't hold back a small cry of pain as her hand contorted back towards her wrist and her forearm went rigid.

Jack reacted instinctively; he carefully reached out and held her hand- her eyes flew open at the sudden contact but shut again when she saw it was him. Gradually, he stretched her hand out away from her wrist and uncurled her fingers, then began to massage the cramped muscles in her forearm. Very slowly, he felt the muscles start to relax and Audrey's breathing slowed. 'Is that a bit better?' He asked gently, she hummed contentedly in reply and rested her head against his chest. 'I'll take that as a yes' he chuckled. He repositioned himself so that she could lean back against him as he moved up her arm to rub away the tension in her shoulder.

'Thank you' she murmured as he kissed her neck softly.

'Don't mention it'

Just then Amanda walked in. 'Oh sorry, I didn't realise-' she stopped, looking embarrassed.

'Doc it's okay, what do you need?'

'Agent Doyle is outside, says he needs to talk to you' she was blushing still but managed to regain her professional composure. Jack nodded.

'Send him in' Amanda bobbed her head and two seconds later Doyle walked through the door. 'What's happening, Mike?' Jack asked.

'Burke managed to get the location of the component out of Myers' Doyle replied, glancing at Audrey uncertainly; she was on edge but Jack stroked her arm and held her close. 'We're headed out now if you want to join? I've got your vest and weapons here…' He held them up for Jack to see. Jack looked down at Audrey and angled his face so that she could see his eyes. 'Sweetheart, I have to go for a little while.'

'Where are you going?' she whispered.

'To get the bastards who hurt you. I have to make them pay for what they did to you.' Tears glistened in his eyes as he spoke. Audrey traced a finger over the scarred skin on the back of his hand. 'To us' she murmured. Jack smoothed her hair over one shoulder kissed her neck again.

'To us. Try to get some sleep while I'm gone okay? Amanda will keep an eye on you in case you need anything.' Jack didn't feel good about leaving her here but he couldn't quite shake the niggling desire for revenge that lingered in the back of his mind. He needed closure, and so did Audrey. He carefully eased himself out from beneath her, 'I'll be right back, I promise' He was just about to leave when Audrey spoke.

'I'll hold you to that this time'

* * *

Sat in the SUV, Jack shrugged into the bullet proof vest and strapped on the two guns; on at the hip, one at the ankle. 'Where are we headed?' he asked.

'A subway station beneath the intersection of 4th Street and Santa Fe Avenue, a part of the old system. It was shut down and sealed off decades ago but Myers said that's where the remainder of Cheng's men are hiding out. They're under the command of his lieutenant, Wu-'

'-Wu Xiaofeng, yeah I know who he is' Jack shuddered as unpleasant memories flooded his thoughts. Doyle looked over at him.

'Jack? Jack snap out of it. I can't have you in on this op if I can't rely on you'

'Sorry, yeah, so what's the plan?'

'All units have been briefed. Echo team will approach from the north via a maintenance hatch. Foxtrot from the south through the old tunnel itself. Bravo team got the sewers beneath the platform' Doyle said, all business now.

'Oh I bet Curtis is loving that. You know how to build a lasting friendship' Jack laughed.

'Damn straight. We're using the same route the Chinese are; Myers said they knocked through the station wall from the lower levels of a multi-storey parking garage. We hit them head on and use the other teams to flank them' They pulled up into the parking garage and made their way down to the lower basement. It wasn't long before they found the hole in the wall behind the backup generator. Jack swallowed as he pointed his flashlight into the black tunnel. Doyle pulled him aside for moment, 'Jack you don't have to do this'

'Yes I do. How long's the tunnel?' Jack replied

'About 70 feet, then we're straight out onto the platform.'

'Okay. Let's do this.' With that the five men stepped into the blackness.

* * *

They'd gone about 50 feet when a dim light reached them through the dark. They switched off the flashlights and Doyle spoke quietly into his radio, '_Are all units good to go?' _ A short volley of '_in position_' answered him.

'_Okay, all units move in. Go go go'_

The ensuing gunfight was quick and brutal; the sharp rattle of automatic fire was interspersed with barked commands and screams of pain- screams that were often cut short. Jack quickly dispatched three shooters before spotting a fourth taking aim at Curtis. 'Curtis!' Curtis threw himself to the floor as Jack shot the man, a clean kill: bullet to the chest, bullet to the head. Curtis gave a gruff nod of thanks before Jack had to dive for cover himself as a burly Chinese man brought his MP5 around to fire in Jack's direction. As he was lying on the floor behind a stack of empty munitions cases he saw an all too familiar figure fleeing into the darkness.

He leapt up and fired at the guy with the MP5, who fell to the ground in a heap- disabled and in pain, but very much alive. 'Doyle!' Jack shouted, crouching back down behind the crates.

'Yeah!'

'Xiaofeng's getting away! I'm going after him!'

'No Jack, forget him! Wait until backup gets here!' Doyle yelled back, pressed against the opposite wall, pinned down.

'Like hell!' Jack shouted as he sprinted down platform, using the pillars as cover. Bullets whizzed past his head and he grunted as one hit the tiles of a column next to him, sending ceramic shards flying into his shoulder. Switching the flashlight back on, he jumped down onto the old tracks and ran into the darkness.

'Xiaofeng!' He roared down the tunnel, his voice echoing into the distance, 'XIAOFENG!' again. 'Come out and face me you coward!' After a few moments the echoes had diminished enough that he was able to hear loud footsteps coming up behind him. With a feral growl he spun around and rammed his elbow into the man's temple, knocking him to the floor. The man was stunned for a moment but leapt to his feet and jabbed at Jacks throat. Jack blocked the punch and smashed his foot into Xiaofeng's knee, before throwing a jab of his own.

'Not so easy to beat someone when they're hands aren't bound is it?!' Jack shouted, but the other man barged his shoulder into Jack's stomach, tackling him to the ground. He jumped on top of him, his hands quickly finding their way to Jack's throat. Jack gasped for air as the man tightened his grip but managed to slam his fist into his nose, breaking it. Xiaofeng cried out and fell to the side, covering his face with his hands. Jack was on his feet again and swiftly dealt out three hard kicks to the stomach, before smashing the butt of his gun against his kidneys.

Xiaofeng was neutralised, but Jack wasn't finished yet; spotting a maintenance hatch, he dragged the other man through. 'You know there's something in particular I remember about you. Your penchant for electricity. And frankly, I can't think of a better way to go.' Jack snarled. Using one hand, he twisted Xiaofeng's arm behind his back, immobilising him, with the other he grabbed a knife from his belt and tore through the electric cabling above their heads.

'You see, the great thing about cities is that they like to save money. When they shut down a subway system, they don't waste money filling it in and tearing everything out, they just seal it all up and shut off the power. If you seal it up no-one can reach the override switches they dot along the lines.' Jack said casually as he tied the ends of the cabling around Xiaofeng's wrists. When he lifted one of the man's hands, something fell out onto the floor. He finished knotting the wire before bending down to pick it up; Xiaofeng tried to knee Jack in the face but he saw it coming and blocked it easily.

'What do we have here?' Jack asked innocently, turning the beam of his flashlight onto the object. 'Oh, the circuit board you wanted so desperately. I'll deal with that later' he walked over to the corner, where the junction box was attached with its cover hanging off its hinges. 'And this right here, is that override switch I was telling you about.' He tapped a large switch within the box.

'Please… Please don't' Xiaofeng was hanging by his wrists, his head bowed. He was struggling to breathe but Jack didn't care.

'Reduced to begging so quickly?' Jack spat at the man's feet. 'When you showed me the pictures of Audrey's corpse, only then did I beg. And I begged for death. But would you give it to me? No. You kept me alive, forced me to go on living that hell. Made me believe she was dead!' Jack gripped his chin and lifted his face up to look at him. He leaned in close, until they were almost nose to nose. He whispered quietly, but menacingly, 'You don't even have the option of living. Burn in Hell'. With that, Jack turned again and flipped the switch.

Xiaofeng let out an unbridled scream as thousands of volts coursed through his body, which twitched and convulsed sickeningly. Jack smiled grimly at the man's pain, wishing he could have done the same to Cheng. After twenty long and, Jack hated to admit it but, satisfying seconds, he shot the man in the head. The screams ceased and Jack turned the power off again. Jack left the man hanging from the ceiling and, without so much as a backwards glance, walked out and locked the door behind him.

Doyle jogged up to him. 'Did you catch him?'

'What? Catch who?' Jack asked, ever so slightly dazed and maybe a little horrified now that what he had just done was beginning to sink in.

'Xiaofeng? You ran after him like a bat out of hell' Doyle replied, confused.

'Oh yeah, couldn't find him, he must have found a way out' Jack drew the component out of his pocket, 'I did find this though'

**Go on, leave a review :) they're a simple pleasure in my life**


	13. Closure

**A/N not really an action packed chapter this time but I needed a little more jaudrey :) the flashback/nightmare is from just after Audrey was captured in China. Enjoy :D**

Chapter Thirteen- Closure

'Jack, can you identify any of these men?' Doyle asked, gesturing to the line of men knelt in front of them. It was dark on the platform, and the sharp beam of the flashlight cast odd shadows over the faces of the men, but Jack did to his best to quickly examine the features of each of them. After a few moments he shook his head. 'No, but these two look like private contractors' he motioned towards the two Caucasian men at the end of the line, 'the Myers kid might be able to identify them.' Doyle nodded.

'I'll put them in a lineup when we get back- we can see if Audrey recognises any of them as well' he mused.

'No' Jack said forcefully, 'Leave her out of this. She's got enough to deal with without dredging up more memories. I need to get back to CTU, let's finish up here and go.' He turned and walked back through the tunnel into the parking garage. More units had arrived to clear up; there were now at least ten vehicles just outside the entrance. Jack checked them until he found one with the keys in the ignition- apparently they had a rookie on board- and drove up to the surface; after twenty months in captivity, dark, confined spaces weren't all that appealing.

* * *

Jack was just walking back through CTU when Nadia called out to him from across the room. 'Jack, my office. Now.' Jack let out a long sigh; was a moment to himself so much to ask?

'Yeah Nadia, what do you want?' he sounded bone tired, completely drained, although his brain was wired- the events of the last few hours were finally catching up to him.

'That was great work you did out there, recovering the component.' Nadia's tone was light but her gaze was calculating, assessing, 'It's odd how you never found Xiaofeng though, given that the entrances to the tunnels are all sealed, he had nowhere to go…' She let the implication of her words hang in the air for a while. Jack narrowed his eyes at her before calmly replying, 'I can't say it's odd at all, Nadia, they must have had an escape route in place the entire time- standard procedure.'

'You're out of control, Jack. I ought to have you placed under arrest and thrown back into Holding' Nadia hissed.

'Perhaps' Jack replied, nonchalantly, 'but you won't'

'Oh won't I?'

'No. You won't. Because the moment you do, I'll take my one phone call and patch straight through to James Heller. I'm sure he would be delighted to hear about the "treatment" you authorised for his daughter not twelve hours ago.' Jack whispered harshly. Nadia paled. 'You have the component, the crisis is over. I suggest you quit whilst you're ahead.' He stalked out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

* * *

'How's she doing?' Jack asked quietly as he walked back into Medical. Through the glass door he could see Audrey asleep on her bed, for a moment she looked almost peaceful. Amanda gave a half-hearted shrug, 'Physically? As well as can be expected. Given time she should largely recover, although from what I've seen she will need long term physical therapy to rehabilitate her knee and arm. Certainly in her arm she seems to have some quite significant nerve damage.'

'Seems to?'

'I'm not a neurologist but my initial assessment suggests that is the case, I've already put in a call to a specialist who will be able to tell us more; he should be here fairly shortly' she checked her watch quickly.

'What about mentally? I've got some idea from experience but can you tell me anything else?' Jack couldn't help the chill that crept over him as he thought back to that hell-hole.

'Psychologically, you probably have a much better idea than I do, in all my years as a doctor I've never seen anyone sustain that level of abuse and come out alive. Again, I've asked a specialist to come in and assess her. Regardless, she will need a lot of support to get through this.' She looked at Jack meaningfully.

'Yeah, I know, that won't be an issue. Thanks Doc.' He pushed the door open and stepped quietly over to the bed, collapsing into a chair next to it. Looking at Audrey he realised that, whilst on the surface she seemed peaceful, on closer examination he could see indications of the battle that raged in her mind; her eyes darted around wildly beneath her eyelids, her hair was matted from tossing and turning and every now and then tiny flashes of fear rippled across her features. He reached out and took her hand in his, but fatigue was beginning to overwhelm him and he could feel his eyelids drooping. Within minutes he slumped forward, his head resting on the bed next to Audrey.

* * *

'**Miss Raines. I have tried to keep this civilised but if you remain uncooperative, I will have to resort to a less pleasant form of communication. Now please, I want to know every engagement Secretary Heller has scheduled for the next year.' Cheng's nasal voice made her skin prickle but she glared at him defiantly. **

'**I have nothing to say' she spat, straining slightly against the wire that bound her hands. She stopped; who was she kidding? Even if the wire did loosen, surrounded by five men, escape, for now, was not an option.**

'**Very well' Cheng nodded to one of the guards behind her. Above her head was a hook attached by a rope to a pulley system. The guard stepped forward and secured the hook around the wire between her wrists. Another black-clad figure cranked a lever, slowly lifting her upwards until she was hanging from the ceiling with only the tips of her toes brushing the concrete. She gasped as the wire cut into her wrists, she could feel two small trickles of blood beginning to run down her arms.**

**Cheng had a sinister smile on his face as he drew a poker from the fire to his right. When he spat on the end the metal hissed eagerly. He brought the glowing red tip of the poker up to Audrey's chest and slowly, meticulously, traced it along her collarbone. Audrey bit her lip and resolutely held back a pained moan, even as the sickening scent of burning flesh filled her nostrils. After a few seconds the pressure was gone but the searing pain remained. Then without warning he smashed the poker into her stomach, then again onto her thigh. A horrendous torrent of blows rained down on her as Cheng laughed, taking pleasure in the screams she could no longer hold back.**

**Finally the tirade ended, but as soon as it did, his hand was around her throat, choking her. He grinned evilly as he brought his face close to hers, her breath coming in terrible rasps. 'Remember, I gave you the chance to talk. You have no-one to blame but yourself.'**

* * *

Jack was woken by struggling on the bed; Audrey was clawing at her throat, her breath coming in strangled gasps. Small droplets of blood were stark against the white sheets where she had torn her skin in a desperate attempt to fight off unseen assailants.

'Audrey! Audrey! Sweetheart, it's just a dream, wake up!' he shouted hoarsely. Grabbing her hands with one hand, pinning them away from her neck, he placed his other hand on her cheek, stroking it gently in the hopes that a familiar touch would drag her back into reality. She flinched away but her eyes blinked open. She struggled briefly on finding her arms immobile but Jack quickly released her hands and drew her into a tight hug. 'G-d, Audrey, you scared the hell out of me' he whispered desperately.

She sobbed into his shoulder. One word escaped her lips: 'Cheng'

'Cheng's gone, Audie. He can't hurt you any more' Jack's voice cracked as he spoke.

'How do you know?' she whimpered, her eyes flying round the room fearfully. He rubbed small soothing circles into her back, trying to calm her down.

'He's dead, sweetie. I was there when it happened. I saw it with my own eyes.' He lifted her chin with his finger, 'You have nothing to fear from him anymore.' She didn't believe him, the terror was too deeply ingrained, and he could see it in her expression. She jumped at a light knock on the door. Amanda poked her head into the room, 'Everything okay in here?'

'Yeah Doc, all good.' He paused, an idea forming in his mind. 'Can you bring a wheelchair in here, I think we need to take a little trip' if Amanda looked confused at this request, she was flat out bewildered by Jack's next question. 'Amanda, are all the bodies brought in from the last 24 hours still in the morgue downstairs?'

'Uh yeah, why?'

'Closure'

* * *

They had made it down to the morgue without a hitch, although Jack had quietly seethed as he watched people stare at Audrey with such pity it enraged him. This was not how he wanted them to see her, as pitiful or broken- she was so much more. Audrey had picked at the frayed hem of her hospital gown the whole way down, trying not to look at all the strange people that surrounded her. She had drawn her knees up to her chest and started tapping again, anything to stop herself going off into a blind panic.

It was cold in the morgue and a sharp chemical smell hung in the air. Jack took his jacket off and wrapped it around Audrey's shoulders. 'Which body do you want to look at in particular?' Amanda asked, taking a clipboard off the desk next to her.

'Chinese, bullet wound to the neck' Jack replied. Amanda scanned the chart quickly.

'Ah yes, locker 15, just give me a minute' she walked over the correct locker and opened it, pulling out the tray that held the corpse of Cheng Zhi- for the moment still encased in body bag. Amanda lowered her voice as Jack wheeled Audrey over. 'Are you sure this is a good idea?'

'Unless you have a better one? She has to see for herself that Cheng is dead, that he can't ever hurt her again.' Jack said softly. Amanda pursed her lips but nodded and began to unzip the body bag. Jack gently lifted Audrey out of the wheelchair and helped her to stand. After a final look from Jack, Amanda peeled back the black material covering Cheng's face.

As Audrey's knees gave out beneath her Jack was glad he had put his arm around her waist. A small scream tore from her mouth as she took two rapid steps backward but Jack guided her back forward. What he was about to do was risky but he couldn't think of a better way. He turned to face her and spoke very quietly, 'Audrey, do you trust me?' She was panicking but stilled when her eyes focused on Jack.

'Yes' she whispered. Jack inwardly sighed in relief.

'Okay, hold onto that trust,' he moved so that he was behind her then very slowly took her trembling hand in his. As he gradually edged them forward she resisted slightly but he whispered in her ear, 'Trust me'. They were now stood at the edge of the mortuary slab, looking down at Cheng- the man who had caused them both a lifetime of pain. Jack could feel her heart racing through his chest.

'Trust me' he repeated, as he guided her hand down onto Cheng's forehead. She recoiled slightly at the contact but he held her there. 'See? It's cold, there's no life in him. It's just an empty corpse. Cheng Zhi is dead.' Audrey began to shake uncontrollably as realisation dawned on her. Jack released her hand and turned her into his chest, she buried her face in his neck. He could feel tears of relief soaking into his shirt. Wrapping his arms around her, he whispered to her as she broke down into a whirlwind of emotions.

'G-d, Audrey, I'm so proud of you. You're so strong, so brave' he kissed the crown of her head and stroked her hair whilst Amanda zipped up the body bag and pushed it back into the locker. Choked sobs wracked Audrey's slight frame but she was slowly calming down and before long her breathing was only slightly shuddered. After a few minutes she gave an almost inaudible whisper.

'We're free'

**hope it was worth the wait, let me know what you think :)**


	14. Understanding

**A/N first off let me apologise for you having to wait so long for what is essentially a filler chapter- the product of a nasty writers block, its mostly fluff with some angst if you squint? For the next chapter I'm doing a little time jump and moving Audrey out of CTU, I'm getting tired of the place. Just as a little add on for your imagination, Dr Okara is sort of based on Colin Salmon's performance in Merlin- his tone of voice/demeanor etc so hop on to youtube if you're not familiar with him. Sorry for the rant and enjoy :D**

Chapter Fourteen- Understanding

Amanda and another doctor were in her office, deep in discussion. She was shaking her head in disbelief whilst the man opposite her listened intently… 'I've never seen anything like it, the sadism expressed in her scars- it beggars belief. For one person to go through so much… I'm sorry, Lee, you're not here to listen to me venting.'

'It's okay Amanda, I understand. Trust me; I feel exactly the same way about all the young men coming through my clinic. The war certainly leaves its marks.' Lee replied gently.

'Yes it does' Amanda murmured, and then shook her head again, trying to clear it. 'Sorry yes, as I was saying, I suspect she has a partial, if not complete, tear to her median nerve- although of course it may stem from the lateral cord given her general difficulty in moving the arm. During my earlier examination she was unable to pronate the wrist and formed the Hand of Benediction when I asked her to make a fist.'

The other doctor nodded, 'that would certainly indicate damage to the median nerve. Did you note any muscle atrophy? And you mentioned a traumatic injury to the left knee?'

'Yes and yes. With the knee injury I would guess it to be between five and six months old going by the scaring.'

'Have you been able to determine a cause?'

'That bit wasn't difficult, it's a gunshot wound- entry and exit scars rather gave it away.' She cringed at the thought of the agony Audrey must have been in as the bullet tore its terrible path through muscle, tendon and bone. Lee also winced. 'Neurologically speaking I think the injury is fairly minor- she still has relatively good control over the lower limb. However her mobility has been severely impaired and as far as I can tell it is still causing her no small amount of pain.'

'Okay, well I'll complete a more in depth assessment and then we can start drawing up a treatment plan. Is she currently on any pain medication?' Lee made a few scrawled notes on his clipboard.

'We gave her a dose of Naproxin about 4 hours ago to take the edge off but that should be wearing off now.'

'Good' the doctor opposite her finished writing. 'Let's find out exactly what we're dealing with' He opened the door and held it for Amanda, 'Lead the way'.

Amanda paused at the door to Audrey's room, 'I'd better go in and explain everything first; Audrey doesn't cope very well around people she doesn't recognise and Jack is very protective of her…' Lee nodded in understanding, and waited out of sight as Amanda walked into the room.

* * *

Audrey was sat across Jack's lap, with his arms wrapped protectively around her shoulders. He absentmindedly tangled his fingers through her hair whilst she leant into his touch, her head resting against his chest. It warmed Amanda's heart to see the couple so content in spite of the rocky road which had brought them here. She tapped lightly on the doorframe. Jack looked up and Audrey jumped a little, startled, but settled again when she recognised Amanda. She moved off of Jack's lap so that she could twist round to face her. Amanda smiled.

'I've got another doctor outside who wants to take a closer look at your arm, and your knee if you'll let him.' Audrey eyed her dubiously and glanced at Jack for reassurance.

'It's alright' he whispered, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. She nodded nervously.

'Okay'

Without further ado, Amanda nodded to Lee, who stepped through the door. Audrey's knuckles were white as she gripped Jack's hand, shifting so that she was behind him. Jack rubbed his thumb along the back of her hand. 'Hi, I'm Doctor Lee Okara, but Lee is fine' the tall doctor said cheerfully. He extended his hand out to Jack, who shook it firmly, and then to Audrey, who hesitated for a moment before cautiously mimicking his gesture.

'Let's begin shall we? Do you mind if I roll up your sleeves?' Lee asked. Jack nudged Audrey forward so that Dr Okara could actually see her properly. Audrey shook her head but didn't say anything. Lee quickly rolled up the sleeves of the hospital gown so he could compare the two limbs- yes there was definitely some muscle wasting in the right. 'Before I start, are you in any pain at the moment?'

'Um hum' Audrey mumbled, then pointed to her right shoulder.

'Okay, and how long has your shoulder been hurting for?'

'I… I'm not sure… A long time' her mind flashed back to a dark room, on a cold metal table with her arm twisted behind her back. The knife, followed by the acid they had used to cauterise the wound. Her breathing sped up as the memory threatened to overwhelm her. Lee noticed her distress and spoke again, his voice drawing her back to the present, 'That's okay, it's hard to keep track of time sometimes isn't it?' Audrey nodded. 'Can you hold your arms out for me?'

She did so, although her right arm trembled violently with the effort. 'Now touch your nose with your left index finger.' Audrey obeyed. 'Okay, you can put that arm down now.' Her arm fell to her side. 'Touch your right index finger to your nose'

Audrey frowned in concentration this time. Again the arm twitched but you could have mistaken it for the general shaking throughout the limb as she struggled to keep it in the air. She looked down into her lap, ashamed. Jack snaked his arm around her waist and whispered something reassuring in her ear.

Dr Okara continued with his examination for the next five minutes, testing her reflexes, muscle tone and power, and finally sensitivity. He paused to watch her for a moment; she had been calm earlier but now her control was beginning to waver. She tapped out that odd rhythm on her knee and shuddered when her thoughts betrayed her and she found herself back in China for a moment- moments that were becoming increasingly frequent. Lee knew that he needed to wrap things up soon because before long not even Jack's whispered reassurances would be able to keep her in touch with reality.

'Have you felt any unexplained tingling or pain in your arm since the… incident? Any muscle spasms or cramping?' Jack glanced at Audrey but her eyes were miles away. He answered for her.

'I don't know about tingling but her arm cramped up earlier, from her reaction I'd say it was painful' he turned his attention back to her, 'Audrey sweetheart, stay with me, hang on for just a couple more minutes. The doctor's almost finished' Jack murmured, stroking her arm. She drew a shaky breath and nodded but it did little to slow the irrational panic that she could feel building up inside her chest.

'Audrey, I just want to get a quick look at your knee and then we're done' although Dr Okara's words had little effect on Audrey, Jack couldn't help feeling a little relieved. But as Lee brushed his thumb over the ugly scars that disfigured her knee, it all became too much for her. She flinched away and drew her legs up to her chest, leaning into Jack and clenching his shirt in her fist.

'I'm sorry, can we do this another time? I just… I just' she paused and took another shaky breath, trying to find the words to communicate the jumble of emotions that were running around in her head, 'I just can't do this right now.' She fell into an incoherent babble. Jack spoke for her.

'I think we should call it a day.'

'I understand, but bear in mind that the sooner I know exactly what's wrong, the sooner we can begin her rehabilitation.' Lee replied.

This time it was Audrey's turn to speak, 'I've managed for five months, I think I can survive another two weeks. Just please, don't make me do this now…' she sighed in frustration. She couldn't explain why she felt the way she did, only that no matter how hard she tried to fight it, her heart was beating too fast and there didn't seem to be nearly enough air in the room. She could feel a fine sheen of sweet covering her back and she didn't know what to make of her temperature; her hands were cold and clammy but the room was sweltering. 'Jack, I think I'm going to be sick.' She whispered desperately.

Lee stepped forward immediately to help as Jack wrapped his arm around her waist and walked her as fast as he could to the bathroom across the hall. He held her hair back and rubbed her back as she heaved into the toilet bowl. Lee ran her a glass of water and handed it to Jack. Their gazes met as Jack took the glass, and Jack saw something he didn't expect. He had expected to see sorrow in his eyes, or worse, pity. Instead, all he saw was understanding.

**If you have any ideas of where you want this story to go, feel free to PM me :) **


	15. One Month

**A/N A quicker update here and I'll try to get in another before Tuesday (going on vacation with no internet). You may have guessed from the chapter title but the time jump I mentioned is about a month, however if anyone particularly wants to have more of the time in that month then PM me and I'll see if I can write a chapter or two to fill in a couple of blanks. Anyway, just a quick thanks to amacma for some much needed inspiration. Enjoy!**

Chapter Fifteen- One Month

**Audrey came to with her feet dragging through the dirt, being hauled across the courtyard by two guards. Her head hung limply in exhaustion, her lips were dry and cracked. She hadn't eaten in days, but in all honesty she couldn't care less. The glaring sun beat down on her as she coughed violently, trying to expel the dust from her throat. The guards kept a strong grip on her wrists but it didn't matter; even if she had tried to run she couldn't have, her knee was too painful to even crawl more than a couple of feet. **

**She tried to blink away the grit that blew into her face but her eyes were too dry. A moment of confusion came and went as she was dragged out past the courtyard and through the rusted iron gate. Three months ago her heart may well have lifted in hope at this but, here and now, little more than a passing mental question mark managed to break through the hopelessness that dominated her thoughts. **

**They finally came to a halt at the base of the concrete wall that surrounded the prison, about thirty yards from the gate. The guards let go of her wrists and she crumpled into the gravel. She didn't move, she had neither the energy, nor the willpower. 'Miss Raines' came that nasal voice that sent a paralysing fear through her with every word. 'Kneel.' She knew what would happen if she failed to obey. She struggled to sit up but was too slow; she cried in pain as the guard to her right forced her roughly onto her knees, whilst the guard to the left swiftly slashed his whip across her face. If it hadn't been for the guard still gripping her shoulders she would have collapsed again.**

**A scratchy sound from the right tried to draw her attention but she was just concentrating on staying upright. It was only when the scratchy sound was right in front of her, and followed by a dull thud that she actually focused her eyes on it. Then the smell hit her, the putrid stench of rotting flesh. She gagged. It was Oliver. No, the fifteen day old corpse that used to be Oliver. **

**A shovel was tossed into the dirt in front of her, it clanged loudly as it collided with the gravel. She looked up at Cheng in confusion. '**Dig**' he sneered. '**If you cannot dig with the shovel, you will dig with your hands. If you cannot dig with your hands, we will leave him out here to the crows. You will watch.**' Audrey trembled as she reached for the shovel, she owed Oliver that much. She gripped the handle and used it to lever herself into a standing position, keeping all of her weight on her left leg. The ground spun beneath her at the sudden effort. She paused, breathing hard, waiting for the earth to stop moving, but soon discovered she didn't even have the strength to lift the shovel.**

**Next thing she knew she was face down on the floor, nausea building and her vision blurry. Cheng stepped forward and kicked her onto her back, before wiping his tainted shoe on the ground. '**I said dig**'. Her breath rattled through her chest as she moved onto her hands and knees, and began to claw at the dirt.**

* * *

She woke in a cold sweat, breathing heavily. Her hand flew to her neck. Her fingertips were met by cold metal; the pendant of a necklace Jack had given her a week ago. She sighed in relief, it was just a nightmare. She turned her head, beside her Jack slept soundly. In a bizarre way she felt proud, she hadn't woken him. Sitting up, she grabbed her crutches and hobbled out of the room into the kitchen to splash water onto her face. The odd feeling of pride didn't last long; she'd thought she'd been doing better recently, she had been free for over a month now. But there was a long way to go still, and it wasn't just herself she was fighting. Since the news of her return had been leaked to the press, the media just couldn't get enough of the story.

Television vans had been parked en masse outside the CTU building when she was finally allowed to go home. Well, if home was her father's beach house. Her release had almost been disastrous; if Doyle hadn't been there to hold him back, Jack would have beaten a reporter to death after he had shoved a microphone in Audrey's face and demanded a statement. She shuddered and tightened her grip on the basin as she remembered the bewildering mass of flashing cameras and shouting reporters. Within hours, images of a broken woman in a wheelchair had been splashed across every front page, images of a woman Audrey would prefer to pretend had never existed. Even now, a few lingering reporters and photographers camped outside the gates of the beach house, waiting like vultures for a glimpse of her.

She hadn't left the house since she'd arrived. Not even ventured down onto the beach. Jack was worried about her, she knew it, but she didn't know what to do. At least now they had found a routine she could stick to, a small lifeline to cling to.

9:00am shower. 9:20am eat breakfast. 10:00am physical therapy with Dr Okara-call-me-Lee. 11:30am catch up on sleep lost in the night. 12:30pm therapy with Dr Stigller-call-me-Fiona. 2:00pm eat lunch. 3:00pm try walking without crutches/cane then grit teeth when falling to the floor. 4:00pm watch TV with Jack, wondering why he's okay and you're not. 6pm eat dinner. 6:30pm rest in Jack's arms whilst it gets dark and talk about anything but China. 9:00pm go to bed. 12:30am wake up screaming, Jack moves from his bed into your bed. Holds you as you fall back to sleep. 3:00am wake up again, feel guilty as you wake Jack. Again. Pretend to fall back asleep, knowing that he knows you're pretending. 4:00am actually fall back to sleep. 6:00am wake up _again_, give up on sleep. Move into living room and switch on news channel. 6:05am Jack joins you and makes you feel better, tells you everything will be okay one day. 9:00am repeat cycle.

It was now 6:02am so Audrey moved into the living room and slumped onto the couch, absentmindedly flicking onto CNN Headline News. A stream of words washed over her but she wasn't really listening, just sticking to a routine that meant safety and sanity. A reporter on screen was droning on about a high profile court case; she normally ignored news like this but a name kept cropping up. Benny Myers. It was a name she'd heard a lot recently, usually spoken in hushed tones in conversation between Jack and Doyle.

She jumped as she heard a small noise behind her and whipped around to identify it. Thank G-d. It was Jack. He rubbed his eyes sleepily and sank into the sofa next to her, drawing her into his arms. 'I'm sorry' she whispered, 'I tried not to wake you'

'It's okay, I don't mind' he murmured in reply, kissing her forehead.

'I mind. I don't like being a burden.'

'Listen to me, you are not a burden. Understand? You are not a burden' he ran his fingers through her hair and stroked her cheek. She nodded, but she didn't believe it, the dark circles under his eyes and the haggard look on his face betrayed his words. Deciding to let it go for now, she snuggled further into his arms and closed her eyes. Suddenly a thought occurred to her. 'Who is Benny Myers?' She felt Jack's body go rigid.

'How do you know that name?' he asked hurriedly. Audrey almost laughed, did he honestly think he and Doyle had been discreet?

'Oh come on Jack, you and Doyle have been whispering about him for weeks. What I should really ask is why do you keep talking about the defendant in a high profile court case?' she gestured towards the TV. Realisation dawned on Jack as he listened to the reporter still talking about the case. He grabbed the remote and turned the television off, but not before a name and a face flashed onto the screen. The name 'Benny Myers' and a face that was all too familiar. Oliver Harrison. Jack knew from Audrey's sharp intake of breath that she had seen the photo.

'What the hell, Jack?' she twisted round to face him. He shifted uncomfortably, trying to work out how much to tell her. 'Quit trying to work out what to say. Tell me the truth. What is going on with Oliver?' she read him with ease, he wasn't as good at hiding his emotions as he thought he was.

'Audrey, Oliver wasn't real, remember?'

'He is to me.' She snapped, then realised her mistake and took a quick breath. 'Was. He was to me.' Her eyes were distracted for a couple of seconds as she worked through a quick round of "Real, Not Real". _Oliver was in China. Real. He helped you. Real. You murdered him. Not real. You buried him. Not real. He betrayed you. Real._

Jack waited patiently as she went through the exercise and her eyes refocused. 'Oliver's real name is Benny Myers, he was involved in an assassination attempt on your father. His trial begins in two weeks.' Audrey could see he was telling the truth but he was holding something back. She gazed at him intently, her eyes burning into his. Jack sighed, she was going to find out eventually; he couldn't protect her forever.

'The prosecution has subpoenaed you as a witness.'

**Hope you like the beginnings of a fresh plot. As I said I'm away for about a week from Tuesday but I'll try to write a few chapters on vacation to upload when I get back. As always please review!**


	16. His or Hers

**A/N this will be my last update for a little over a week but check back in on the 5th/6th september and with any luck you'll have two (maybe three) brand new chapters :) oh and the flashback in this chapter is set after Audrey 'killed' and buried Oliver, just hours before being transferred to the Block**

Chapter Sixteen- His or Hers

Jack was worried about Audrey; she hadn't said a word since this morning. She was normally chatty with Dr Okara- well, chatty for Audrey- but even then she'd been silent today. Now he was just hoping that Dr Stigller could get her to open up, she had a knack for that. It had been a rocky relationship at the start, Audrey didn't like people poking around in her head, but she had eventually warmed to her.

He watched as Dr Stigller pulled up into the driveway and opened the door to let her in. She took one look at his expression and knew something was wrong. 'Bad day?' she asked. With Audrey, some days were good, others bad, but the problem was that there was no pattern to it. Her moods were unpredictable and often extreme. Jack nodded.

'She knows about the trial… and the subpoena'

'Ah…' she'd been expecting this, although not for at least another week. 'Has she said anything?'

'Not a word' Jack murmured, worry lining his face. Fiona sighed; it was going to be a difficult session today. She looked up as Audrey anxiously poked her head into the hallway but she gave a small smile when she saw Fiona.

'Hey Audrey, how are you feeling today?' she asked brightly. Audrey just smiled again. Yes, it was going to be one of _those_ sessions. They moved into the lounge and sat down in two armchairs by the windows overlooking the beach. Jack helped Audrey into her chair and made sure her crutches were within easy reach. She smiled as he kissed her lightly on the forehead and then left them to it. He had stopped sitting in on their sessions as soon as Audrey had been sufficiently comfortable in Fiona's company.

Fiona looked across at the woman who had fast become one of her favourite patients; she had drawn her knees to her chest and was tapping out Sir Duke again. She suppressed a sigh; she had stopped doing that about a week ago, when Jack had given her the necklace that now hung permanently around her neck. She reached over and gently squeezed her hand. Audrey looked down at her hand for a moment. 'Oh. Sorry.' She cursed inwardly, she hadn't even noticed she was doing it.

'That's okay' Fiona replied as Audrey reached up to touch the necklace. She closed her eyes and took a steadying breath as her fingertips reached the pendant- a simple, silver acorn. Fiona decided to start with a simple question. 'Did you take your meds today?'

'Yep. 50mg tramadol, 80mg propranolol, 30mg escitalopram.' She fell silent and rubbed her knee, her eyes staring out over the sea. Fiona reached over to the coffee table and picked up a length of nylon cord that lay abandoned in the fruit bowl. She handed it to Audrey, who took it gratefully and began tying various knots in it. This ritual had originally been an exercise thought up by Dr Okara to improve the dexterity of her left hand- seeing as she wasn't getting the use of her right back anytime soon- but they had soon found that having something simple to focus on had a calming effect on her.

As Audrey twisted and pulled the cord through a complex series of knots, Fiona spoke again. 'What's going on in that head of yours?' Audrey didn't look up or answer, just concentrated on the Carrick bend she was forming, which was surprisingly difficult to tie with one hand. 'Anything to do with Oliver?' Audrey pursed her lips as the knot slipped and the cord tangled untidily. She looked up at Fiona, irritated for a moment but trying to cover her reaction.

'Come on Audrey, we both know you tap whenever you think about him. If you don't want to talk about him with me then at least talk to Jack.'

'I can't talk to Jack…' Audrey murmured, sadness entering her eyes. Fiona realised she meant more than just talking about Oliver.

'Why not? I think he'd understand better than anyone, he was there too. He went through the same thing.'

'No he didn't.' Audrey said sharply, anger burning in her eyes. If Fiona was surprised by this sudden change of mood she didn't show it.

'What makes you say that?' she asked calmly, so calmly it infuriated Audrey. She bit her lip, struggling to control herself. 'Audrey?'

'Because he's okay!' she shouted, gesturing wildly with her arm. 'He doesn't wake up every few hours screaming for the pain to stop! He doesn't spend ten-and-a-half hours a week trying to hobble between two metal bars!' she looked at her crutches in revulsion and kicked them across the room. 'He doesn't have to rely on a damn necklace to help him work out what's real and what's not! He's not going-' she broke off as her face went pale.

She looked down at her right arm as it twisted and cramped painfully, then fumbled around in her sweater pocket. After a couple of seconds she withdrew an epipen-like object and struggled with the cap. Fiona reached over, 'Let me'

'I've got it' Audrey replied through gritted teeth, grimacing as another wave of pain rippled up through her shoulder. Her hand shook as she gripped the auto injector, her thumb slipping on the cap. Fiona leaned over to take the pen.

'Audrey'

'I said I've got this!' she snapped, finally flipping the cap off and plunging the needle into her forearm. She breathed a sigh of relief as the muscle relaxant did its work and her arm uncurled itself.

'The spasms are getting worse' Fiona observed.

'Ya think?' Audrey retorted sarcastically, massaging away the tension in her arm. Fiona raised her eyebrow. Audrey looked down at the floor, 'Sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you. Lee says it's a good sign, something about the nerve growing back…' she smiled.

'Well that's good news, but we've gotten a little off topic.' Fiona replied.

When Audrey spoke again, her voice was a whisper. 'Jack isn't going to have to relive every second of it in a courtroom full of strangers, testifying against someone he cares about.'

She paused, fighting back tears, 'I just want to forget. I want it to be like it never happened.'

'You know it doesn't work like that. Audrey, what you went through, it's not something that anyone just _forgets. _It is, however, something you have to come to terms with, only then can you learn to live with it. And to do that you have to talk about it. We've been doing these sessions for three weeks now and you've never once spoken about China' Audrey shivered as she said the word, 'Every time it comes up you change the subject.'

Audrey narrowed her eyes at the doctor. 'I was tortured. Day in, day out for eleven months. What more is there to say? What do you want? For me to spill all the gory details?' she was almost yelling again, 'Okay then doc, let's play a game. Pick a scar, any scar, and I'll tell you the story behind it- because trust me, I remember all of them.'

Fiona hesitated, struggling to keep up with her erratic mood changes.

'Oh I get it, spoilt for choice aren't you? How about I pick for you?' she pointed to the odd puncture marks around her ankles. 'Day six. I kicked at the guard tying my wrists. You know what they did?'

Fiona shook her head silently, waiting for the storm to pass.

'They forced me to watch as they twisted corkscrews into my ankles. Funny enough I didn't kick anyone after that.'

'Have you finished?' Fiona asked calmly. Audrey stopped, the anger in her eyes dying. She nodded.

'Oliver told me not to bother fighting back, that it would only make it worse. He was right. See? He tried to help me. He isn't the monster everyone's making him out to be' she murmured, tears glazing her vision.

'Did you love him? Oliver?'

Audrey stared at her in shock. 'What? No! Of course not! How could you even ask that?'

'It's just the way you talk about him…'

'What does it matter if I did or didn't? I believed Jack was dead, Cheng showed me his body the first day after they captured me. Oliver gave me something to hold on to when all I wanted was to let go. It wasn't until after I'd killed Oliver and found out Jack was alive that-' her eyes widened and her hand flew to her mouth.

'That what?' Fiona prompted. Audrey shook her head wildly and hugged her knees to her chest. A potent mix of guilt and fear contorted her features for a second. Her eyes were unfocused as she stared through Fiona, dead and emotionless.

* * *

**She shrieked again as the electricity burnt through her body, which jerked and twitched violently. She couldn't breathe, her diaphragm paralysed by the current. Finally it stopped and she gasped for breath, shivering as her sodden clothes clung to her thin frame. 'Miss Raines, I can do this all day. But you can stop me. All you have to do is tell me everything you know about your father's security detail for the DOD-Senate conference.' Xiaofeng said matter-of-factly, his hand hovering over the switch still. Audrey just let her body hang limply, concentrating on breathing. In, out, in, out. **

**The Chinese man walked over and tightened the jump leads that were clamped to her feet but the fresh pain barely even registered in her half delirious haze. She had retreated so far into her mind that very little of what they were doing to her body really had any effect on her. It was almost as if she was watching her ordeal from behind a screen; seeing what was being done but not really feeling it.**

**From across the dimly lit room, Cheng stood up. 'This isn't working.' He tapped the rusted iron door, 'Bring him in.' **

**A hooded man was marched into the room, his hands tied behind his back. He was shoved forward until he collapsed on the floor a few feet in front of her. 'Get off of me you bastards!' the man shouted through the black material that covered his face. Audrey's heart froze as she heard his voice, **_**No…It couldn't be…**_

**She shrieked again as the sack was ripped from the man's head. 'Jack!'**

**Jack looked up in confusion. 'Audr-' he crumpled to the ground, unconscious, as a guard rammed the butt of his rifle into his head.**

'**Jack!' Audrey screamed again. She glared at Cheng. 'You told me he was dead! You showed me his body'**

'**Yes it's amazing what one can do with an unconscious body and a decent movie make-up set isn't it?' Cheng replied lightly. 'Miss Raines, I am tired of your stubbornness. As useful as Mr Bauer is, I am working within a time limit here. Enough games.' He took a knife held out to him by Xiaofeng, then cut open Jack's shirt. Slowly, meticulously, he dragged the knife over the skin on Jack's back. He pressed down a little, not enough to do any damage, just enough to draw blood.**

'**Stop' Audrey whimpered, 'Please'**

'**Only you can stop me, Miss Raines. If you do not tell me what I need to know, I will put this knife in Mr Bauer's kidneys. He will bleed out at your feet. Within minutes. Don't worry, I'll be sure to wake him first so that you can say goodbye. His death will mean nothing. Because of you. And he will die knowing that.'**

'**No' Audrey whispered in horror, her head spinning.**

'**He has held on this long in the hopes his death will actually mean something. Will you be the one to take that last shred of hope away from him?'**

**Audrey felt trapped, nauseated. She had already killed one man. She couldn't repeat that, especially with Jack. She knew what would happen to her if she talked. Now that she thought about it, it was a simple choice: her life, or Jack's.**

**She fell to the floor with a thud as Xiaofeng cut the rope tying her to the ceiling. Looking at Jack for the last time, she whispered, 'Forgive me.' Then she straightened her shoulders and, with all the dignity and defiance she could muster, she glared up at Cheng. Calm acceptance washed over her. Her voice was steady when she spoke.**

'**I'll tell you everything.' **

* * *

**A/N hope you enjoyed this chapter, I certainly enjoyed writing it. I know I'm not around for a while but why not leave a review to make me smile when I get back? Or to make me grin like a maniac when I'm waiting around in the airport? Feedback means the world to me (mostly because I have no life but thats a story for another day...) **


	17. Nightmares and Starlight

**A/N hello again, back from holiday as I'm sure you realised. I have two chapters to for you (the second should hopefully be up later tonight or tomorrow morning) neither are particularly plot orientated but they're very jaudrey :D Enjoy**

Chapter Seventeen- Nightmares and Starlight

**Jack's body ached. Even at the slightest movement it protested, telling him just to shut up and sit still. But there was little he could do as he was forced roughly to his feet and shoved forward. The drugs they had pumped into him certainly didn't help. In the blackness beneath the hood that covered his face, his mind created a nauseating kaleidoscope of images. They were hallucinations, he knew that by the all-too-intense colours and blurred edges of the pictures, but as each assaulted his eyes in a macabre cascade it was all he could do not to scream at the way they clawed at his sanity. Most of the images were bizarre monsters that he'd never really given much thought but others were memories, twisted and embittered by his own mind turned against him.**

**Guilt tore through him as Teri and Kim appeared before him, glaring at him with such accusation and anger that he almost stopped dead as he walked, trying to back away. Then they melted away to be replaced by Nina. Cold and smug, she raised a finger to her lips and gave a harsh laugh that rattled through his brain. **

**Finally he was thrown to the ground and felt the hood being ripped from his head. Yet still the hallucinations remained. Before him now was Audrey. Strung up by her wrists, she had been beaten and tortured as he had. She was shivering, her prison uniform soaked through, and jump leads were attached to her feet. A terrible hopelessness clouded her eyes and a fatigued resignation lurked in every muscle.**

**She cried out his name with such desperation and terror it sent icy daggers through his chest. 'Jack!' She seemed so real that he tried to reply, 'Audr-' but then the butt of a rifle slammed into the back of his skull and his vision turned black.**

He woke up gasping her name, shivering as a cold sweat bathed his body, plastering his shirt to his chest. He wearily wiped a hand over his face and sat up, swinging his legs out of the bed. It was the same dream every night, one he couldn't seem to shake. Somehow the memory had disturbed him all the more since he had learned of Audrey's imprisonment; at the time he had dismissed it as another hallucination but now he wasn't so sure, it had been so vivid, so real, more so than the others. The colours had been more subdued and the edges much sharper.

No. It hadn't been real. He hadn't seen her again after that. Still, he couldn't help a lingering doubt.

He shook his head, pushing away his thoughts, and stood up. Silently, he padded through to Audrey's room to check on her, to reassure himself that she was safe, alive. He turned the door handle quietly and looked over to her bed. His heart stopped. An icy cold fear rushed over him in a wave. She was gone.

* * *

For a brief moment, Jack forgot to think, forgot to even breathe. He stood frozen, as a statue, as panic rose in him like a storm. His heart was pounding out of his chest. Then the moment passed. Coming to his senses, he quickly darted round the room, checking all four corners. The room was empty. _Please G-d no._

Turning wildly, he leapt down the stairs, taking them two at a time and running into the kitchen. That too was empty. 'Audrey!' a desperate cry tore from his throat. 'Audrey!' again he yelled as he ran through to the living room.

'Jack? What's wrong?' replied a small voice. He whirled around and nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw a figure stood by the open patio door.

'Oh thank G-d' he sighed in relief, running over to her and engulfing her in a suffocating hug. 'Jesus Christ, Audrey. You scared the hell out of me!' he said hoarsely, still overcome with relief. Suddenly he stepped back, holding her at arm's length. 'What are you doing out here?' he demanded, his relief morphing into anger.

Audrey stuttered slightly. 'I just… I just wanted to see the stars.'

The simplicity of her answer stunned him. He was silent for a moment as his anger drained away as quickly as it had arrived. But something inside him had snapped, all that was keeping him together was the knowledge that she was safe, and just for a few seconds that had been taken away. Without warning he broke down and wept uncontrollably onto Audrey's shoulder. Audrey looked taken aback; she didn't know how to react. So very slowly, she wrapped her arms around him and whispered soothingly in his ear, as he had done so many times for her.

After a while, Jack regained a little of his composure. 'Come on, let's go back to bed' he said, turning to go back upstairs, but, to his surprise, Audrey shook her head.

'I like it out here' she said, picking her crutches up from where they leant against the patio door and slowly limping away. Jack stared awkwardly after her, not really sure whether he should follow or not. Audrey made it about half way down the path to the beach before looking back. 'You coming or what?' she called, a small challenge glinted in her eyes.

'You bet' Jack called back and swiftly caught up with her.

When they reached the beach, Audrey stopped for a moment and lifted her head up to stare up into the sky. Wrinkling her toes in the sand, an expression of sheer joy lit up her face. IT was a warm night, and a gently breeze blew up the beach off of the sea. She drew a long breath and closed her eyes, simply taking in the night, before gingerly lowering herself down to lie in the sand. Jack lay down next to her, moving his hand to the side so that she could rest her head on his arm.

It was a new moon tonight; above them a myriad of stars twinkled back at them, so far removed from human suffering that Jack found in them an odd solace. Audrey shifted closer to him and laid her head on his chest, her arm draped lazily across him. He curled his arm around to stroke hers and frowned slightly when he realised it was coated in a thin layer of sand.

'You didn't take the makeup off today' he said softly, brushing the sand away. 'Dr Stigller said you shouldn't leave it on overnight.'

* * *

It hadn't taken Fiona long to realise just how much Audrey despised, and almost feared, her scars; they were a permanent visual reminder of her ordeal. This wasn't uncommon in the doctor's line of work so she had an easy solution.

One day, she had turned up at the house with a travel case filled with different coloured pastes. She had picked out the tone that best suited Audrey and then painstakingly blended it with other tones until it matched her skin perfectly. When she had finally applied, she built it up in layers until the scars had all but vanished. It was different from normal cosmetics, extremely water resistant but natural looking, only if you looked closely could you see a difference. Of course there were some scars that were still visible, but they were far less noticeable, and nowhere near as vivid.

The change in Audrey that first day had been remarkable; she stood a little straighter, held her head up a little higher. The loathing that flitted across her face if she accidentally caught a glimpse of her reflection had disappeared. The next day, she and Fiona had spent hours together, routine be damned, as Fiona showed her how to apply it herself, watching carefully as she practised. Eventually, Audrey got the hang of it and could even apply it with the two useable fingers of her right hand, much to her delight.

* * *

Jack smiled at the memory. 'I didn't really feel like it,' Audrey replied, 'besides, tomorrow is Thursday'

'Thursday. Of course, hydrotherapy first thing.'

'Exactly, there didn't seem much point in taking it off'

'Fair enough' Jack decided to let it go, and they fell into a companionable silence. After that, it didn't take long for the gentle lapping of the waves on the beach to lull them both into an undisturbed sleep.

The look of utter relief that crossed Audrey's face as she let the water take her weight was almost comical. Just to be able to float, and not have to move, was bliss. The dull ache in her knee and shoulder that constantly nagged at her was gone. However, that relief would soon be shattered; Dr Okara was a hard task master and took nothing in half measures.

'With the progress you're making, Audrey, you'll be using nothing but a cane in not time' Lee said proudly. It was true; she gone from wheelchair to walker to crutches in the space of a month.

'No cane' Audrey replied sharply, 'I'll just stick to one crutch. If you think I'm going to hobble round with a walking stick like some old grandma you've got another thing coming.'

Jack chuckled quietly from poolside, there was no way Lee was going to win this one, then stopped and tried to look innocent; Audrey had spun around in the water and was now staring at him intently, daring him to say a word against her. He kept his mouth shut.

Lee smiled. 'Alright then, one crutch. But to you have to put the work in to get there.' Audrey groaned audibly; he had that look on his face that suggested this would be one of his more intensive sessions. She wasn't wrong. For the next hour he put her through her paces, giving her exercise after exercise designed to strengthen the muscles and tendons in her leg. It didn't take long for small beads of sweat to form on her forehead.

After one particularly gruelling set that left her chest heaving, she turned back to Lee, cursing. 'I swear, one day I'm going to kill you.'

Lee just smiled teasingly, 'You'd have to catch me first. Now keep going.' He basically had her running in the water, but with a bungee tied round her waist to increase the resistance.

She walked back to the end of the pool, muttering just loud enough for Lee to hear. 'Not it I corner you and beat you to death with my crutches. At least I've got something to work towards in the meantime…' Lee laughed softly, thinking _I don't doubt it._

By the side of the pool, Jack suppressed a smile- he was supposed to be engrossed in a crossword, not listening in on Audrey and Lee. But he couldn't help it; both he and Audrey were on form today. Last night was the first full night's sleep he could remember and he felt much better for it. He had certainly noted a marked improvement in Audrey- a little colour had returned to her cheeks and the bags under her eyes had retreated somewhat.

He was dragged from his thoughts by the doorbell ringing faintly. He frowned and looked at his watch; he hadn't been expecting anyone today, then walked out into the hallway. There was a gun by the door if he needed it.

**As I said, the next chapter will be up fairly soon but in the meantime why not leave a review? Chase away those post-holiday blues for me :)**


	18. Memories

**A/N okay so the second half of this chapter I think is definitely M rated, a little steamy, though do bear in mind that this is the first time I've even considered/attempted writing something of this nature. Enjoy :)**

Chapter Eighteen- Memories

Jack opened the front door with an odd sense of foreboding, a sense that wasn't entirely dispelled by the bizarre looking man stood on the doorstep. He was a short, weasely man with a scrawny moustache and thick rimmed glasses. If it weren't for his cold demeanour and steely glint in his eyes, Jack would have laughed.

The man's voice was entirely emotionless when he spoke. 'Jack Bauer, I assume?' Jack nodded. 'I'm Klaus Steinway.' Jack looked at him blankly. 'The prosecutor in the case against Benjamin Myers. I'm here to discuss Ms Raines' testimony.'

'Oh, yeah. Of course. Err… Come in.' Jack said, stepping aside and shutting the door behind him. His previous good mood had now evaporated. 'We weren't expecting you today. Audrey's in hydro at the moment- they probably won't finish up for another fifteen minutes or so.'

'Yes, I meant to have my secretary phone ahead but never mind, I can wait.' Mr Steinway replied, placing his briefcase on the floor and taking a seat at the kitchen table.

Twenty minutes later, Audrey was dressed and sat opposite Mr Steinway, glancing apprehensively at Jack, who tried to smile reassuringly but it didn't quite reach her eyes. The lawyer was examining her with an analytical eye, but his eyebrows were creased into a small frown, as though he didn't quite approve of what he saw. Finally he spoke.

'Right then Ms Raines. You are a key witness testifying against Benjamin Myers. It's a simple process. I ask you questions, you answer them completely and truthfully. Understand?'

Audrey nodded, but grudgingly; he was speaking to her as if she were a five year old. When she spoke her voice was cold and unwavering. 'What if I don't want to testify?'

'Unfortunately, Ms Raines that is not your decision to make. You have been subpoenaed as a witness- refusal to testify would result in obstruction charges and you being held in contempt of court, likely resulting in you doing time in prison.' Audrey felt her heart sink and she looked back at him resignedly, although a little dull anger showed in her expression.

'Putting that aside, the cross examination will be difficult. The defence will seek to discredit you as a witness and will certainly be calling into question your mental stability during your experiences with the defendant.' Audrey grimaced; she'd seen the CCTV footage of her encounter with Oliver on her return to CTU. Questioning her mental stability would not be difficult to do. And although her memories of him during her imprisonment were much clearer, they would not be difficult to discredit given the numerous mind altering drugs that were found to be in her system on her return.

'They have submitted the video footage of your suicide attempt in CTU and parts of your medical report as extrinsic evidence to support their case' He was still speaking in a monotone that was fast beginning to infuriate both Audrey and Jack, although now Audrey felt more nauseous at the thought of testifying than angry at the weedy little man in front of her.

'But first let's focus on your testimony. The first thing I will ask you to do will be to identify Mr Myers, all you have to do is point to him and say 'that's him'. I'll then ask you 'Where have you seen Mr Myers before?' and you give your answer.' He stopped, gesturing for Audrey to answer.

'Um… Once in CTU after I was released from China, and before that in China, during my imprisonment.'

'Okay, that's good, just minimise the hesitation before you answer. Then I'll ask you to describe the circumstances of your imprisonment.'

Audrey interrupted him abruptly, 'Can I see him?' The lawyer looked at her uncomprehendingly. 'Oliver… Sorry I mean Myers, can I see him?' Jack looked at her in shock but she kept her gaze steady, and focused on Mr Steinway.

Steinway regarded her coldly. 'Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't think it was a good idea however, he has been asking to speak with you also. So yes, I will arrange it. Now, can we continue?'

Audrey nodded, satisfied. 'Good. As I was saying, I will then ask you to describe the circumstances of your imprisonment.' Audrey visibly paled.

'Mr Steinway is that really necessary?' Jack demanded.

'Yes Mr Bauer it is. We need the jury to empathise with Ms Raines, although we'll use some other tricks for that a bit later. Now, Ms Raines, please continue.'

'Empathise.' Audrey whispered in disgust, 'As if they could have any idea. Fine. I was held in a Chinese prison camp and systematically tortured for eleven months. Physically and psychologically. There. Is that what you wanted to here?' She was furious and there was a dangerous hint to her voice but Steinway seemed oblivious.

'It's a good start but a little concise and you need to work on your delivery.' he said casually. The look of sheer loathing Audrey threw at him even made Jack shudder but the lawyer again appeared unfazed. 'Go again'

She took a deep breath and tried to swallow her anger before starting again. 'I was captured by the Chinese Intelligence Service and held in a prison camp. For the next eleven months I was tortured, day in, day out, both physically and psychologically. First for information, then later as a test subject' Jack bowed his head as Audrey continued, 'I was kept in a dark, filthy, six-by-six cell. Any resistance was met with a beating at the very least. Any escape attempt earned a bullet in the knee for both the would-be escapee and the prisoners in the cells either side of him.

'I can no longer walk properly and I have lost the use of my right arm. The electric shock they used on a regular basis to try to get me to talk has caused permanent damage to my heart. The tip of the knife they stabbed me with is still lodged in my chest cavity.' Her voice was dead and when she looked up the lawyer again it was clear she was not going to say any more. Steinway pursed his lips.

'That's much better, although again your delivery needs a little work. Not to worry, we can work on that another time.' He shuffled his papers for a moment before moving on to the next question. They spent the next ten minutes going through slightly easier questions, and although Audrey answered reluctantly, she managed to hold it together. As did Jack, although he couldn't help the slow burn of hatred for the lawyer that slowly bubbled away in his stomach.

Finally Steinway moved onto the 'other tricks' he had mentioned earlier. 'What's most important for your testimony is that you earn the sympathy of the jury.' He looked over a report on the table in front of him. 'I think we'll either have you using a walker or cane as you approach the stand' he mused.

'I can't use a cane' Audrey said coldly, gesturing towards her crutches, 'and I'll be damned if I'm going to go back to a walker.' At this Steinway finally met her eyes; she was glaring at him fiercely.

'We can discuss that nearer the time perhaps.'

'I said I'm not using a walker. There's nothing to discuss.' Her fury was barely veiled now and he seemed to accept defeat on that point. 'Moving on to your scars, I was led to believe from your initial medical report that they were far more visible?'

Audrey shifted uncomfortably, 'I use makeup to cover them up. I prefer not to have to see them.'

'Hmmm well for the duration of your testimony they need to be visible, certainly to the jury. They would definitely gain us their support. They serve to visually reinforce your statement and augment the rapport you will build on the stand.'

Audrey looked as though she'd been slapped. 'Get out' she hissed.

'I'm sorry?'

'You heard me. Get out!' she shouted, pointing to the door, 'Now!' Jack laid a placating hand on her arm but she shrugged him off. 'No. I want him to leave my house. I have nothing further to say to this weasel. Get rid of him.'

'Mr Steinway, I think it would be best if you left now' Jack said quietly, as Audrey grabbed her crutches and, with as much dignity as she could muster, stalked away and out of the room.

* * *

Jack trudged heavily up the stairs, having shown the lawyer out. _Well that could have gone better _he thought to himself. He could hear the shower running but as he wearily walked past the bathroom door he realised he could also hear a faint sobbing above the continuous noise of the water. He tapped lightly on the door. 'Audrey? Are you okay in there?' Only another stifled sob formed a response. Sighing, he tried the handle. It was unlocked so he opened the door.

'Oh sweetheart' he murmured. She was huddled in a pitiful ball, fully clothed, beneath the stream of the shower.

'Jack' she whimpered, her eyes were red-rimmed and her hair was plastered to her scalp. She looked utterly miserable. Jack stepped into the shower and crouched down next to her.

'Come on, let's get you up and dry'

'No.' she said stubbornly, and made no effort to move.

'Alright' Jack replied. He paused for a moment before sitting down next to her and wrapping his arm around her shoulders. She leant into him and interlocked her fingers with his, still crying softly. It wasn't long before Jack was soaked through. They sat in silence for several minutes, just feeling the water beating down on their backs.

'I hate them.' she said suddenly. Jack looked at her questioningly. She pointed to the scars on her wrists. 'All they do is remind me'

'I know' Jack said simply, 'but they don't matter, at least not to me'

'So what? Now I should go flaunting them around a courtroom in the hopes the jury will pity me?' Audrey replied, frustration rising in her voice.

'I don't like it either, all I'm saying is they're not something to be ashamed of' he replied.

'I'm not ashamed of them' she snapped angrily, 'I just don't want to have to show them to the whole world, you know?' she sighed and closed her eyes for a moment. 'I hate the memories they hold' she whispered.

'Then let's make some new ones' he murmured into her ear, bring her wrists to his lips and kissing them. His lips were soft and warm against her skin. Then he reached up and grabbed a flannel, before gently sponging away the makeup that coated her arm. At first Audrey shuddered, but as each new scar was revealed, Jack gently kissed it, leaving a warm tingling in his wake. By the time he had reached her elbow she was giggling, and there was a light dancing in her eyes that he hadn't seen in a long time. It was as if the tension from the past weeks and the pain from the previous months had vanished, and they were once again a normal couple.

She smiled as he lifted her shirt up and over her head, before continuing his slow path up her arm and along her collar bone until eventually he came to her lips. They both hesitated for a moment, leaning their foreheads against one another's, their hearts racing. Then their lips met. It was a tender, tentative kiss at first, but it soon deepened as months of longing and hoping finally surfaced.

They awkwardly stood up, their tongues somehow still intertwined, until they were forced to part for breath. Audrey paused for a moment, breathless, but her face sombre, then removed Jack's t-shirt and stroked her hand across his chest, gently caressing the scars that marred his skin. Jack shivered in anticipation at her touch and when Audrey lifted her eyes to meet his there was now a mischievous glint in them.

Suddenly the wait was too much for them and they came together in a fit of passion; she fumbled with his belt as he unzipped her skirt and within seconds they were stood in nothing but their underwear, their clothes in a soaking heap on the bathroom floor. She quivered as he ran his hand across the soft skin of her stomach and up her back, deftly unclipping her bra and letting it fall to the floor whilst she stroked him teasingly through his boxers. He could feel himself hardening against her as she worked his boxers down to his ankles so that he could step out of them, before straightening and bringing her lips to his again.

He slipped a hand inside her panties and rubbed her gently, eliciting a soft moan from deep inside her throat. Then he brought his other hand up to cup her breast and she shivered with pleasure. Their lips parted abruptly, and Jack opened his eyes, confused, until he felt Audrey's teeth graze his neck, tracing a path down to his sternum. 'Audrey' he breathed, his voice a soft rasp.

Without warning he couldn't control himself and pushed her up against the shower wall. She gave a sharp gasp and he froze, afraid he'd hurt her, but there was no pain in her, but there was no pain in her eyes, only desire. He stilled for a moment. 'Are you sure you want to do this?' he asked carefully, his eyes searching her face for any sign of doubt or discomfort. Her only response was to push her hips against his, wrapping a leg around him.

Finally, 'Yes' she breathed.

Jack needed no further encouragement; he swiftly tore off her panties and lifted her up. She wrapped her legs around his hips as they kissed fiercely, primal desire taking control of their bodies. Jack looked deep into her eyes, asking her permission, and she nodded. Then, finally, he was inside her, thrusting with long, gentle stroke. Her eyes widened with passion and then closed a bit as she bit into his shoulder, her nails digging into his back. His breath was hot and ragged on her skin as both revelled in waves of sheer pleasure, until finally they climaxed together, moaning and panting in ecstasy.

After a minute or so they had caught their breath and their lips locked hungrily again as Jack carried her back across the landing to the bedroom, where he laid her down before collapsing onto the bed next to her. Audrey rolled over so that she was lying on top of him, her chin resting on his chest. Her face was flushed and she stretched out along the length of his body, rubbing her leg lightly against his. He looked down at her and smiled, still breathing heavily, whilst she turned her head slightly and listened to his heartbeat, tracing her finger over one of the scars on his shoulder.

She looked up at him. 'Well this is one hell of a memory'

Jack looked down at her slyly, 'Somehow I think there will be plenty more of them in the future…'

She stared at him as if offended, but when she spoke her voice was dark and seductive, 'Why the future Mr Bauer? Who's to say we can't start now?'

**I decided they need a break from China, if only a little one, hope you liked it :) as always, feedback is appreciated**


	19. Cold Hearts

**A/N I know I know, I'm a terrible updater and frankly you're right, its shameful- in my defense I am in the process of filling out my UCAS application so right now my life is a nightmare and I don't have nearly as much time as I would like to write :( unfortunately for you guys this means I can't finish this story in the manner I would like to, I will of course finish it but updates will be about once a week and the plot is changing (sorry amacma). However, I may well come back to this once things have settled down a little and write the alternate ending... In the meantime, sorry for the little rant and enjoy the latest chapter**

Chapter Nineteen- Cold Hearts

Jack was watching Audrey closely out of the corner of his eye; she was sat in the passenger seat with her knees drawn to her chest, not afraid, but definitely nervous. She kept switching between tapping and fidgeting with the nylon cord- she'd tap unconsciously until she realised what she was doing then finger the cord until her attention waned and she ended up tapping again. She was unusually quiet today but that was understandable because A) it was the first time she'd left the house since her return, and, B) he was driving her to the Pitchess Detention Centre, North Facility, to visit Ben Myers.

Her face was unreadable; not that her expression was blank, more that so many conflicting emotions were battling within her features that he hadn't got a clue what she was feeling. He didn't really understand why she was doing this, the man had betrayed her in the worst way possible, manipulated her, had been complicit in her torture. It was thanks to him that she'd tried to kill herself for crying out loud. Jack halted his thoughts for a moment; Audrey didn't know that- she didn't remember much from her first few days back and he had decided to keep quiet about the entire incident.

She spoke suddenly, gazing at him intently, 'What will they do if he's found guilty?'

Jack hesitated; this had come up on a couple of occasions during his hushed conversations with Doyle. Secretary Howard was out for blood- one of the agents killed in the explosion meant for Heller had been his son- and Secretary Heller was looking to make an example out of Myers. All told, they were going after the death penalty. And with any luck, Audrey's testimony would be the final nail in his coffin.

But he couldn't tell her that. As far as she was concerned, at least for now, Myers was going to prison for the rest of his life.

'He'll get a life sentence.' Jack said bluntly. She narrowed her eyes at him but didn't push it and went back to staring out the window. 'Why do you want to see him?' Jack asked curiously.

Audrey was quiet for a long while before answering, and when she did, it was a somewhat cryptic answer. 'I have a decision to make.'

'Which is?'

Again, she paused before answering. 'I have to decide whether or not I'm going to testify.'

'Audrey, what are you talking about? Of course you're going to testify'

'I'm not going to take the stand and lie, Jack'

Jack took his eyes off the road to stare at her in shock. 'Okay, now really, what are you talking about?'

'I lied to the lawyer Jack.' She replied quietly and bit her lip, looking down into her lap. 'I gave up the information on my father voluntarily.' They were both thrown forward as Jack pulled over and screeched to a stop. He whipped round to face her. 'I wasn't being tortured, well, at least not at that point. I didn't want to tell them, honest, but I couldn't see another way out… and then Cheng threatened you and I couldn't… I couldn't' she was forced to stop as shame and panic threatened to overwhelm her.

Jack on the other hand looked like he'd been stabbed. 'You saw me? In China?'

She nodded, fighting regain composure. 'Cheng threw you down in front of me and said that if I didn't tell him what he wanted to know then he would kill you. That you would die for nothing. I couldn't do that to you… Not after everything…'

'Audrey, listen to me, that doesn't mean you gave him the information willingly. You were still under duress, even if it wasn't physical. It's not like you wanted to tell him.'

She bit her lip again. 'Yes I did…' she stopped as a tear trickled down her cheek. 'Jack, you have to understand, I wanted to die. Every time they took me out of my cell, I prayed for death, for release. Cheng threatening you was just my chance to pull the trigger. I knew that if I talked then I would be killed. Or at least I thought I would.' She looked down guiltily, 'saving you was an afterthought really. Still, it helped to know that my dying for nothing meant that you could die for something…'

'Oh G-d, Audrey, listen to me. You did nothing wrong. You hear me? Nothing. Being tortured to the point where you'll do anything to escape does not mean you were complicit in Cheng's plans.'

'It means that I was weak'

'No. Don't even think that, it means you're strong. It means you went through something more terrible than anyone could even imagine and came out alive.'

'I didn't intend to' she murmured quietly.

'But you did. And that's all that matters.' He looked at her closely; she nodded absently and didn't say anything further but Jack could see that she was still fighting with herself. Sighing, he pulled out into the road again, wishing he could say something more to convince her.

* * *

It was cold in the visiting area, too cold. Audrey resisted shivering as she waited for Myers to be brought in. Jack was waiting outside; she wanted to do this on her own. She jumped as a door opened and a prisoner was wheeled in by a guard. The man was cuffed a metal ring in the centre of the table in front of her as she looked at him in confusion. The last time she saw him he'd been walking fine… His face was blank and when he spoke, his voice held none of the warmth that Oliver's had.

'Why are you here?' he asked coldly, glaring at her with such intensity that she dropped her eyes.

'I… I don't know… I guess…' she trailed off, inwardly cursing herself for how weak she sounded. His icy stare was unrelenting.

'You wanted to know if "Oliver" was real. Yes you did develop quite an attachment to him didn't you?' he grinned maliciously, 'but no, he wasn't. Just a part to play, a part I played rather well didn't I?'

More than anything Audrey wished she could slap the smug smile off of his face. 'Why did you help me? That time my leg got broken, you helped me. Why?'

'Why do you think? If I hadn't I'd have had to listen to your moaning and crying all night. If there's something I can't stand having to listen to someone else's snivelling. Hate to say it love but I value my sleep far more than is probably healthy. That and gaining your affection was the job.' he sneered. 'But please, enough about me, what about you? You're marvellously sane in comparison with when I last saw you. Not nearly so… unhinged'

Audrey's voice was as cold as his when she replied, 'And you are surprisingly pitiful in that chair, not nearly so… mobile. How good is the medical unit in prison? I bet they've got the complete recovery package just waiting for you'

He winced involuntarily and tried to cover it but Audrey caught it easily. 'An eye for an eye' he muttered vacantly.

'What?'

'Oh you can ask your boyfriend about that one, damn was he pissed. Understandable though, given that you had just tried to kill yourself. That sort of behaviour is bound to send anyone over the edge.' he tutted, shaking his head in mock disapproval. Audrey stared at him in shock.

'I did what?'

Myers let out a cold laugh, 'Long story that one, you thought you were pretending to be my hostage when in fact you were my hostage. Then that black agent shot me.' He grimaced for a moment, and would have rubbed his shoulder but his hands were cuffed to the table. 'Then you grabbed my gun and turned it on Bauer'

Audrey looked appalled but Myers was laughing almost hysterically.

'When he tried to talk you down, you turned it on yourself. Damn I wish I could have seen his face! I've got two words for you sweetheart: bloody priceless'

'I should have let Cheng put a bullet in your liver.'

'Probably. But you didn't. You didn't have the guts. I think you still don't.'

Audrey looked at him, confused, 'What are you talking about?'

'They're going after the death penalty. With your testimony, you might as well strap me into the chair yourself.'

She'd known it all along; Jack's eyes had given it away in the car earlier, but to hear it confirmed was still difficult.

'I've already killed you once, I can do it again.'

'Last time was different and you know it. What I want to know is, can you sit in that courtroom, look me in the eye, and sentence me to death?' he gazed at her intently, searching her eyes.

'They might not convict you…'

'But you won't know that until after you give your statement, a false statement I might add- you and I both know I never harmed you.' His eyes were taunting her and she fought back the guilt simmering away inside her. 'I guess what I'm really asking is this: would you lie under oath for petty revenge?'

He could see the conflict raging in her head, the anger and betrayal at war with the tiniest flicker of gratitude and affection. Gratitude and affection for a man that never existed, he almost laughed again, but slowly he saw her eyes harden, and when she replied her voice was steady and sure.

'Yes.'

**Good of you all to stick with me on this, check back in about this time next week and fingers crossed I'll have the next chapter :D whilst you're waiting, why not review? You might convince me that procrastinating through writing is the best medicine for stress ;)**


	20. Walk Away

**A/N okay so this chapter is a little shorter than usual but I hadn't originally planned to write this, it just sort of happened and ended up as its own chapter... but hey ho, enjoy!**

Chapter Twenty- Walk Away

Audrey jumped at a knock on the door, and then frowned to herself at her weakness. 'I'll get it' Jack said. He walked to the front door and opened it a fraction. On seeing the man stood outside he almost reached for the gun on the table next to him.

'Jack.' The man said in a cold greeting.

'Mr Secretary.' Jack replied in kind.

'I'm here to see Audrey.' Heller said, though frankly that much was obvious.

'Fine.' Jack ground out, before stepping aside and leading Heller through to the living room. Audrey was sat on the couch and narrowed her eyes when her father walked in. She made no move to greet him. Heller glanced at Jack, 'I'd like to speak to my daughter alone.' Jack looked at Audrey to check she was okay with it. She nodded.

'I'm fine, Jack, go.' she murmured, eyeing her father suspiciously.

'I'll be outside if you need anything' Jack said softly, before turning and leaving the room. As soon as he did Audrey fixed her gaze on Heller.

'Why are you here?' she demanded.

Heller looked taken aback, 'What do you mean? I'm here to see you, Audie'

'To see me? I've been here a month and you haven't been round once,' she replied coldly, 'so you'll have to excuse me if I expect an ulterior motive.'

'I'm sorry, sweetie, things have been really busy at work…'

'Don't "sweetie" me. You don't get to "sweetie" me. You're my father. I _needed _you. But no, you couldn't even free up a few hours in which to see me. I guess the job always comes first doesn't it? Was it really so much to ask? You didn't even manage a damn phone call.' She exclaimed angrily.

Heller had tears in his eyes as he looked at his daughter. She looked so much like her mother. 'I did come to see you.' He said quietly. 'At CTU when you first got back but…' he shook his head sadly, 'Audrey you didn't even know who I was, you could barely even look at me. And when you did…' he paused, trying to reign in his emotions, 'when you did, you looked straight through me, like I wasn't even there.'

Audrey's fierce expression softened slightly but her glare remained steely.

'Do you remember when your mother died?' he asked.

'Of course I do, Dad' she replied softly, pain flashing across her features as an image of her mother, pale and gaunt, appeared in her mind's eye.

'She died not knowing either of us. We lost her long before that final heartbeat. Please Audrey, you have to understand. When you went to China, I thought you were dead. And then when I heard you were alive, I dropped everything to see you, I couldn't believe it. I didn't dare to hope that… But when you looked through me, all broken like that…' he stopped, struggling to find the words.

'I knew I couldn't go through that again, it was bad enough with your mother but with you… I had to walk away, it would have destroyed me.' He looked up at her, hoping she understood.

'You "had to walk away"?' Audrey whispered incredulously. 'Had to walk away?' she repeated, her voice rising dangerously. 'And what about me, _Dad_? Did you ever think about that?! I didn't get to walk away!'

'Audrey, sweetheart, listen' Heller tried speak but Audrey cut him off.

'No you listen to me. For once in your life just listen. I didn't get to walk away. I am stuck, living in this nightmare, day in, day out, and the only person who seems to give a damn is Jack! I can't sleep, I struggle to eat. Walking ten metres feels like ten miles. I can barely even write my own name!' her tirade was cut short by a sharp cry of pain as her arm cramped and twisted in on itself. She fumbled in her sweater pocket as her father stared at her in horror. It wasn't there. Where was it?! Her eyes darted around wildly. Eventually they settled on the coffee table in front of her father. 'The pen,' she gasped, 'pass me the pen'

Heller frantically grabbed the epi-pen like object and passed it to Audrey, who tore the cap off with her teeth and plunged the needle into her arm. She took several deep breaths as the chemical did its work.

'Audrey, are you okay?' Heller asked hesitantly.

'Do I look okay?' Audrey replied through gritted teeth. He cursed himself for asking such a stupid question.

'Is that normal?' he asked, yet another stupid question.

'Yes Dad' she sighed heavily, 'this is normal. Whatever the hell normal is now. But I am tired of it. Really, really tired. It would have destroyed you? It _did_ destroy me. Now I'm building from the ground up, trying to get my life back, and my own father can't find the time to help me. You didn't walk away. You _ran_ away. You buried yourself in your work and deserted me. Just like when Mom died' her voice lowered dangerously, 'Just when I needed you most. So, I'll ask you again, what. Are you. Doing here?'

Heller dipped his head in shame but after a small while looked up guiltily, 'I came to check that you were all ready for the trial…'

'Excuse me?'

'The trial, Secretary Howard and I are both keen for a conviction on this'

'So what you're saying is that this isn't really so that you can see how your daughter is recovering, this is so you can make sure the key witness doesn't back out at the last minute?' she spat furiously.

'You're not going to are you?' Heller asked, worried.

'Screw you!' Audrey yelled, her eyes blazing with anger.

Heller held his hands up placatingly, 'I'm sorry, I didn't mean-'

'I don't care what you meant. And stop being sorry. Being sorry doesn't change anything.' Audrey snapped, 'Just get out.' Heller looked shocked.

'Audr-'

'I said get out. Now.' She snapped again. Her father paused, but on meeting her cold gaze, slowly got up to leave.

Just before he reached the door, he turned back. 'I'm sorry, Audrey, truly.' He murmured before walking out. Jack met him in the hallway and showed him to the front door.

Heller had a pained expression on his face, 'I think, deep down, she blames me for her ordeal' he said quietly, looking at Jack as if asking for vindication. A vindication Jack could not grant.

'You already know my opinion on that, Sir' Jack said, his face emotionless. Heller's face fell.

'Take care of her' he said, before walking away down the driveway.

'That's the plan, Sir' Jack replied, shutting the door.

* * *

Back in the living room Audrey sighed as she heard the click of the front door closing. 'I'm sorry too, Dad' she said softly.

* * *

When Jack walked back through, Audrey was in the kitchen putting the kettle on. He scuffed his foot to let her know he was there. 'Coffee?' she asked. She said it without turning around but her voice trembled. He could tell she was holding back tears. He walked up behind her and slid his arms around her waist.

'You don't have to do it you know, testify' he murmured, 'I've been talking to some people and they said-'

'Yes I do Jack' Audrey said, chucking some instant coffee and boiling water into a mug.

'Why? Because your dad wants you to?'

'I'm not doing it for him, Jack, I'm doing it for me' she muttered, taking a quick sip of the coffee, not caring if it burnt her mouth. She set it down on the counter again as Jack turned her around to face him.

'Audrey, I know it feels like it now, but sending Myers to the chair will not bring you peace' Jack said quietly.

'Peace.' Audrey repeated bitterly. 'Jack, I'm not looking for peace, whatever the hell that means. I'm looking for revenge' her eyes glinted dangerously. Jack stepped back in shock. 'Oh don't look at me like that Jack, now's not the time to pretend to be all high and mighty. I heard what you did.' She glared at him accusingly.

'Cheng Zhi is _dead_. Xiao Feng is _dead_. All their men are _dead_. Ben Myers is the only person I can make pay for what happened to me, so I'll be damned if I'm going to let that opportunity pass. I trusted him, he gave me hope. And then he ripped it away. He betrayed me. So I'm sorry, but right now "peace" isn't good enough. "Peace" can wait. For now, I just want to make sure that bastard fries for what he did.'

**thanks to everyone who's still reading this, I can't make any promises on faster updates but I'm working on it, college keeps getting in the way but at least my ucas application is all done with now. wooooo! As always, reviews motivate me so keep them coming :D**


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